Watch: Out-Of-Favour India Cricketer's Reunion With Kuldeep Yadav In England
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India's England tour is set to start from Friday in Leeds where the first Test of a five-match series will be played.
Cheteshwar Pujara may have last played a Test for India in 2023 but he will be part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. Pujara, one of the finest India Test batters, is part of the broadcast team for the India-England series that starts from Friday in Leeds.
Ahead of the series opener, Pujara had a mini reunion with India left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav with the two sharing a hug and pleasantries at Headingley – the venue of the first Test.
Pujara was dropped from India's Test team following their big defeat to Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship held in June 2023. The 37-year-old is a veteran of 103 Tests in which he has 7195 runs at an average of 43.60. He has 19 centuries and 35 fifties to his name.
The first Test will be the first of the latest WTC cycle for India as they start a new era under captain Shubman Gill. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired, the Indian batting line-up appears short on experience and vulnerable and Pujara says succeeding in English conditions requires acclimatisation and confidence.
'It is a mental battle here, so one needs to stay positive," Pujara told The Indian Express
Pujara also feels that the time has come for India to have a different squad for Test cricket.
'I genuinely believe that if you look at the way things are progressing in international cricket, every team is slowly moving towards a white ball squad and a red ball squad," Pujara said. 'So, we need to ensure that we pay enough attention to our red ball players and ensure that we preserve them, make sure that they are playing red ball only."
First Published:
June 20, 2025, 13:44 IST
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