• Fans criticised Cheteshwar Pujara for his over-defensive batting in 3rd Test against Australia.

  • Pujara scored 50 runs off 176 balls in the Sydney Test.

AUS vs IND: Netizens troll Cheteshwar Pujara for his slowest fifty in SCG Test
Cheteshwar Pujara (Image Source: Twitter)

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara scored his slowest fifty in red-ball cricket on Day 3 of the ongoing third Test against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday.

This was Pujara’s 26th Test half-ton and the eight against Australia. He got to his fifty off 174 balls, surpassing his previous slowest half-century (off 173 balls) which came against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2018.

However, after scoring the fifty, Pujara was removed immediately by Australian pacer Pat Cummins. He was eventually dismissed for 51 after facing 176 deliveries.

The fans were clearly disappointed with the approach of Pujara on a track where bowlers struggled to get wickets. Many believed that Pujara’s slowest knock did not allow India to get the momentum they were looking for, which eventually hurt the visitors as they could only reach 244 in the first innings.

Not only fans but even cricket experts also seemed to be unhappy with Pujara’s over-defensive tactics in the SCG Test. Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting felt that Pujara put too much pressure on his batting partners.

“I don’t think it was the right approach, I think he needed to be a bit more proactive with his scoring rate because I felt it was putting too much pressure on his batting partners,” tweeted Ponting.

Here is how other fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/ikigaimathlabs/status/1347750703201046530

https://twitter.com/shivdhawan10/status/1347801600845254656

Australia lead by 197 at stumps on Day 3

Meanwhile, at the end of Day 3, Australia have scored 103/2 in their second innings, taking the overall lead to 197 runs. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were unbeaten on 29 and 47 respectively.

Mohammed Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin bagged one wicket each. While Ashwin dismissed David Warner (13), Siraj sent back Will Pucovski (10).

Earlier, India were bundled out of 244 in reply to Australia’s 338. Shubman Gill (50) and Pujara smashed half-tons. Rishabh Pant (36), Rohit Sharma (26), Ravindra Jadeja (28 not out), Ajinkya Rahane (22) were other contributors.

Cummins was the pick of the bowlers as he claimed a four-wicket haul for 29 in 21.4 overs. Apart from Cummins, Josh Hazlewood earned two scalps whereas Mitchell Starc took one wicket.

TAGS:

CATEGORY: Cheteshwar Pujara Twitter Reactions

For latest cricket news and updates, subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter.

About the Author:
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.