India’s ever-dependable rock at No.3, Cheteshwar Pujara, highlighted the need for him and his team to be mentally ready for the World Test Championship final.
Before taking on New Zealand in Southampton from June 18, Pujara shed light on the psychological aspect for what will be a high-pressure one-off encounter in foreign conditions.
Given the extended isolation, the Indian players haven’t had much time to prepare and get acclimatised to the conditions in England. But Pujara said the magnitude of the challenge and occasion is enough for Indian players to be mentally recharged and play their best game.
“Well here I think the mental part is very important because it is a one-off Test,” .
Pujara was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Tuesday amid lack of proper match build-up to the WTC final for Indian players
“We’ve had 10-12 days of preparation, so you know mentally you need to be up for it because sometimes you [can] have little time for preparation and you are not playing any first class or any other Test before an important game because of quarantine and all the restrictions.”
Concerns are being raised on how the likes of Shubman Gill, who are on their first Test tour of England, will cope with the early summer conditions with the red Dukes ball on seam-friendly surfaces.
Pujara, though, said he has seen players adjust well and progress on all fronts through their net sessions since arrival, with much of the focus on identifying game plans and executing them in match scenarios.
“I’ve seen the improvement in their game from Day 1 to Day 8 of the practice game. They are ready to make the change and are disciplined enough to be successful,”
he said.
Pujara also acknowledged how big a moment it would be for the health of Test cricket in the country and all over the world if India can inch past the Kiwis. The Indian stalwart said India’s WTC victory would inspire the next generation of players to try and lift the title in the league’s future cycles.
