IND vs NZ / Cheteshwar Pujara says World Test Championship is like a World Cup final in any other format

IND vs NZ | Cheteshwar Pujara believes that if India clinch the first title of the World Test Championship, it will do the same thing to the popularity of the longest format, as the T20 World Cup victory in 2007 won the shortest. increased the popularity of the format. Considered one of the finest players in the traditional format, Pujara has no hesitation in admitting that playing the WTC final against New Zealand is a big deal for him. However, he will try to treat this Test like any other match. When Pujara was asked at an online press conference on Tuesday about becoming the first winner of the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he said, "Yes, definitely, I think Test Cricket needs to survive and this WTC final will definitely help in that.

This player said, 'If we win, then more young players in India would like to play Test cricket. Not only in India but around the world as well, Test cricket needs to survive and the WTC is a great way to do that. Pujara said that it is the result of two years of hard work personally and the team is very close to the final victory. “Personally, it matters a lot because I play only one format (Test). This is the first time we are playing this WTC Finals. As a team, we have worked hard in this period. You have to win many series at home or on foreign soil. To be on top of the game, it requires a lot of hard work. It is like a World Cup final in any other format.

He said, 'It is the first time in the Test format, but it is like playing the World Cup final in ODI or T20. As a team, we are looking forward to the final. Pujara seemed to agree with teammate Ravichandran Ashwin's point that the off-spinner had said that playing the Test series in England has given the New Zealand team an opportunity to prepare better. He said, 'Yes, it is (New Zealand team is in advantage). This is something we cannot control. These are challenging times all over the world due to the pandemic. You may not have all the facilities to have extra time for preparation. It is important for all of us that we are playing the final.

Pujara, who has scored more than 6000 runs in Test cricket, said that in intra-squad matches (played between two Indian teams) bowlers insisted on increasing their workload after almost three weeks of quarantine while the batsmen were also forced to like the match. Got a chance to practice. “It was an opportunity for both the batsmen and the bowlers to get back into the rhythm. We were in quarantine, but we started training and practicing. So when we got on the field, we wanted to make the most of it. Pujara praised the team's bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav for their quartet of fast bowlers. These four are now also getting help from Mohammad Siraj and Shardul Thakur. He said, 'We have reached the final only because of our bowling. He has been able to take 20 wickets and he has won so many Tests for us. He is also ready for the challenge of the final.