Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting raised questions on Cheteshwar Pujara’s batting approach in the first innings against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground. Pujara scored 50 runs in 176 balls at a strike rate of 28.41 before getting dismissed by Australia premier pacer Pat Cummins.

Ponting feels Pujara needs to be more proactive with his scoring rate so that other batsmen don’t feel more pressure.

At a moment during his innings, Pujara scored just 16 runs in 100 balls. Many raised question on his slow batting at a pitch which has almost nothing to offer for bowlers.

A fan on Twitter ask Ponting about his opinion on Pujara’s innings and wrote: “How do you rate Pujara’s initial batting- 16 of 100 balls at such a great surface to bat on? Is that a right approach here?”

To which Ponting replied: “I don’t think it was the right approach, I think he needed to be a bit more proactive with his scoring rate because I felt it was putting too much pressure on his batting partners.”

“I think (Pujara) has got to be better than that,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

“He’s 16 off his first 100 balls with no boundaries. That is – and I don’t care who you are – if you’re at the other end and someone is batting like that, so much more pressure comes back on you because you know you have to be the one that’s going to keep the scoreboard ticking over (and) trying to get some momentum going your way as a team.”

The former Australia captain said after spending so much time in middle Pujara should have backed himself to score a big score.

“If you’re going to play that way and bat that long, he’s got to back himself to make sure he gets 100, 150 at least.

“To bat like he did today, finally get a great ball from (fast bowler Pat) Cummins, although he got 50, he just hadn’t hurt the Australians at all.

He further lashed out at Pujara and said he kept Australia in the game with his lacklustre batting.

“In fact, batting like he did actually kept Australia in the game.

“Although Pujara got the 50 that he got, he’s as guilty as anyone for slack, lacklustre batting.”

Apart from Pujara, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane also played a slow knock of 22 runs 70 balls at a strike rate of 31.43.

Team India batsmen failed to put up a strong fight against the Australia pace attack on Day 3 of Sydney Test and were bowled out for just 244 at a flat pitch. The hosts take a crucial 94-run lead to put India on backfoot.

While in the second innings, Australia lost their openers David Warner and Will Pucovski early, but their premier batting duo Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith took full control of the innings and posted 103-2 at Stumps on Day 3. Smith, who scored his 27th Test ton in first innings, was not out on 29, while Labuschagne was unbeaten on 47.

The Indian bowlers will look to take some quick wickets early on Day 4 to bounce back in the game otherwise it will be too late for the visitors as they are already going through the injury crisis in the camp with Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja sustaining injuries while batting in first innings.