Cheteshwar Pujara Banks on Tips From Rahul Dravid to Excel Down Under

India's tour of Australia starting December 4 will test the real mettle of a young side and Cheteshwar Pujara is leaving no stone unturned to stand out. The 26-year-old batsman from Rajkot has sought advice from Rahul Dravid to score some runs in tough conditions Down Under. (Ganguly Unimpressed With India's Preparation for Australia Tour)

Pujara was seen as a natural successor to Dravid in the crucial number three slot in the Test side and the Saurasthra mainstay has done a commendable job. An impressive 1872 runs from 24 Tests at an average of 49.26 and six hundreds with a best of 206 not out are proof of his supreme batting credentials. However, Pujara disappointed on the tour of England, where despite all the promise and assurance, he managed a paltry 222 runs from five Tests at an average of 22.20 with one half-century.

A perfectionist to the core, those numbers would have hurt Pujara and while the rest of his teammates got busy with a packed international calendar at home, he tried to iron out obvious flaws: "I have spoken to Rahul Dravid about the conditions in Australia. Someone of his caliber and experience will always point out those minor issues, which otherwise may get missed. His approach towards the game is exemplary," Pujara told starsports.com.

Pujara struggled in England but he does not have much reason to be disheartened. His performances in South Africa were exemplary. With scores of 25 & 153 in the drawn Test in Johannesburg and another 70 on a bouncy Kingsmead pitch were enough to showcase his talent. (Kohli Says Off-Field Issues Won't Affect Team in Australia)

It's not that Pujara can't cope with foreign conditions. His brilliant run in South Africa was followed by a lean patch in New Zealand and England but Australia could give his career the impetus every batsman hopes for. Facing the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle won't be easy but Pujara is not worried and plans to stick to the basics.

"I want to keep things simple and concentrate on what I need to do to score runs rather than think about the opposition's bowlers. Overall as a batsman, I need to be sure of which areas I can score runs and which deliveries I need to leave alone. That is going to be my focus instead of the bowler I am facing," he said. (Kohli Will Enjoy Test Captaincy in Australia: Dravid)

Like his skipper Virat Kohli, Pujara is also hoping that the advantage of already having played Test matches on difficult overseas tours will come in handy when the series against Australia gets underway.

"Playing abroad is always a new challenge, the conditions are completely different to what they are in India. The experience of having played Test cricket over the last one year in places like South Africa, New Zealand and England is definitely an advantage while preparing for a tough tour like Australia. As a player, these conditions present a different challenge. Over a period of time when you play in different countries, it allows one to work out the deficiencies that may have developed in your technique. We are reaching Australia a couple of weeks before the first Test. That should help us adjust to the conditions better."