Cheteshwar Pujara 'Disappointed' With KL Rahul, Makes Humble Plea To India Star: "There Are Times Where..."

Cheteshwar Pujara feels KL Rahul is a complete Test player, but urged his fellow batter to convert his good starts into big scores. Whether it is technique or skills, Rahul is one of the most sought after modern day batters. However, a mixture of bad luck and inconsistency has denied Rahul the opportunity to cement his place as one of the all time greats in the format. Pujara, who has played a lot of cricket with Rahul during his time with the Indian team, wants Rahul to make his mark in the ongoing Test series against England.

"Technically, he's one of the most correct batsmen in the Indian Test team, and the way he times the ball, the way his footwork is, the way he judges the length, he looks like he's a complete Test player. But at the same time, he has to score big runs, and he's capable enough, but there are times where he gets off to a good start and then he gets out," said Pujara.

Rahul throw away a good start in the first innings of the 1st Test, edging one to the slips after scoring a quickfire 42. Pujara feels that if Rahul manages to get into the 50s, there is a strong possibility that he might convert it into a big score.

"We saw in the first innings. It was a perfect time for him to capitalise. He batted really well. He gave us a good start, but after that, it was a bit disappointing to see him get out because it was a perfect opportunity for him to get that 100. But now this innings, it looks like he has started off really well once again. He's batting on 47. If he gets to that 50 mark, because that's a nervous time for KL Rahul. Once he crosses his 50, then most of the time he converts it into a big one. So tomorrow, let's hope that he carries on from here and then gets a big one," he added.

Meanwhile, on Day 4, Rahul smashed a half-century having resumed his innings at 47. His knock has kept India ticking in the second innings, despite wickets falling at other end.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team England Cricket Team KL Rahul Cheteshwar Pujara England vs India, 2025 Cricket