Cheteshwar Pujara blamed himself for losing his wicket despite looking in good touch during his 74-ball 44 on Day Two of the first Test against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday. India were 182-3 in reply to Australia's 380.
James Pattinson bowled a good off-cutter at great pace which stayed low and managed to beat Pujara’s bat to hit the middle stump.
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“The ball kept very low and I was late on the ball. I could not sight the ball after it pitched. I was a bit late. At times you get extra bounce and at times it keeps low. But we are used to it and so it was not a big problem for us,” said Pujara.
Pujara and Sachin Tendulkar, who is batting on 71, stitched together a 93-run partnership for the third wicket after India were reduced to 12 for two.
“I was set and things were going smoothly for us. But unfortunately, I got out at the wrong time. Still, we are in a good position. I am happy I have contributed at the right time,” Pujara said.
“It was very important for us to get a partnership. During the partnership, we were talking about how the ball was moving and at times, reverse swinging. Such communication was really important when we were batting,” he added.
Meanwhile, James Pattinson, who bowled two three-over spells for his three wickets, said the plan was to keep fresh. “I am returning after an injury lay off. The plan was to keep me as fresh and aggressive as possible in those three overs.
“Mitchell (Starc) was bowling fantastically. With two right handers playing, I don’t think there’s any difference whether I bowled the fourth over. Hopefully, I’ve saved some energy for tomorrow,” he said.u00a0
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