Cheteshwar Pujara's message to Australia: 'I like to give it back to bowlers like Virat Kohli'

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is underway and the spotlight is on India's star batsman Virat Kohli as fans and experts alike wonder if he can rediscover his form in the crucial five-Test series against Australia. Cheteshwar Pujara, who played a crucial role in India's previous series victories in Australia, has expressed his confidence in Virat, citing his successful past performances on Australian soil as a key factor in his potential turnaround.

Virat Kohli enters the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, on the back of a poor 2024 in the longest format. In his last ten innings, the right-handed batter is just averaging a little above 22, having scored just one half-century.

When you consider the last four years, the picture looks all the more glim since Kohli has scored just two Test centuries. Both of these tons came in 2023.

Speaking about Kohli, Pujara on Star Sports Press Room said, "There is a lot of expectation of him. The number of matches he’s playing and the athlete Virat is, he doesn’t get enough breaks in between. That is why sometimes, when you’re not getting enough breaks, your body and confidence go down a bit. That’s normal."

Australia has proven to be Kohli's favourite hunting ground as the batter has scored 1352 runs in 13 Tests at a staggering average of 54.08. However, he enters the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, averaging 15.50 in the recent 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand.

“He has got some break. He’s at a place where he likes to compete. If someone is having a go at him, he would like to give it back to the bowlers — that’s how he started his journey. He has set high standards for himself. He has that awareness. He has been a leader and is probably the best in the circuit. He’s aware of what’s expected of him and how many runs he has to make,” said Pujara.

“I’m confident that once he gets going, he needs to spend some time in the game. He’s capable of doing all things. Always leading from the front, it’s about getting a 50-60-70. If he gets a hundred, then he will have a great series ahead,” he added.

Virat Kohli was the captain when India registered their first Test series win on Australian soil during the 2018-19 tour. Pujara had then emerged as the match-winner, scoring more than 500 runs.

"In every match, he is motivated, whatever the format. Definitely, he has worked on it. It’s about getting that start and spending time at the crease," said Pujara.