"Watch Pathaan if you want entertainment" - Aakash Chopra lauds Cheteshwar Pujara's dogged batting approach

Aakash Chopra has lauded Cheteshwar Pujara for his doggedness as a batter, an approach that might not seem attractive to the viewers at times.

India will face Australia in the second Test of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Delhi from Friday, February 17. Pujara will be playing his 100th Test, with the right-handed batter having amassed 7021 runs at an impressive average of 44.15 in his 99 games thus far.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra paid tribute to Cheteshwar Pujara's grit and resolve, elaborating:

"Cheteshwar Pujara - you will not get anyone like him again. A lot of people say that he plays slowly and that it is not enjoyable to watch. Watch Pathaan if you want entertainment. If you have to get runs scored in batting, at times boring runs are also important, where you grind down the opposition."

The former Indian opener feels Pujara has probably not got the accolades he deserves, observing:

"He has been compared to Rahul Dravid but I personally feel that he has a huge contribution in Indian cricket history because 13 cricketers have probably played 100 Tests and only Virat Kohli in the current team. We have probably not appreciated him that much."

Chopra highlighted that Pujara has an impressive record against Australia, having amassed 1900 runs at an excellent average of 52.77 in 21 Tests. He added that the Saurashtra batter played a stellar role in India's twin series wins Down Under.

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"The guy didn't get out at all" - Aakash Chopra on Cheteshwar Pujara's first-class exploits

Cheteshwar Pujara has 56 first-class centuries to his name. [P/C: BCCI]

Chopra recalled Pujara's initial exploits for Saurashtra in domestic cricket, saying:

"I know him for a very long time. When Saurashtra versus Delhi matches used to be there, it seemed we were not going to Rajkot to play a match, but to get hit by Pujara. That was his reputation. The guy didn't get out at all. There is no guy who has not been hit by him."

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also reminisced about his Indian Premier League (IPL) days with Pujara, stating:

"I remember when he was selected for the IPL, he was with KKR along with me. Both of us used to feel like misfits. But then also he said that he has to work hard as people say that his footwork is not good. So he used to do skipping and even go to the disco to dance. He had so much focus on improving his footwork. He has put his heart and soul."

Pujara has aggregated 390 runs at a strike rate of 99.74 in 30 IPL matches. He hasn't played a game in the tournament since 2014. Although he was picked by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the IPL 2021 auction, he wasn't given an opportunity in the middle during their title-winning run.