‘Try to score at a strike rate that is more beneficial’ – Brian Lara has a piece of advice for Cheteshwar Pujara

‘India’s modern-day’ wall Cheteshwar Pujara has been under the scanner lately due to his below-par performances. The veteran batter scored his last Test century way back in January 2019 and his graph has gone after since that period. Besides this, his low strike rate has raised a lot of eyebrows. Many fans and experts even believe that Pujara’s ‘lack of intent’ puts pressure on his batting partners.

During the recently-concluded second Test between England and India, Pujara scored a fighting 45 in India’s second innings. However, he conceded 206 deliveries to score those runs. Although Virat Kohli’s men won the contest by 151 runs, the right-handed batsman’s strike rate again created a hullaballoo. Speaking on the trending topic, former West Indies captain Brian Lara said that Team India will be more profited if Pujara enhances his scoring rate.

I would try to create a lot more shots and try to score a strike rate: Brian Lara on Cheteshwar Pujara

“Pujara, definitely for me, I mean as a batsman, I am not the same as a player, that ability to be so patient and score at such a low strike rate. So, for me, if I was a coach or if I was someone that wanted Pujara to improve, I would try to create a lot more shots and try to score at a strike rate that is more beneficial to him and the team,” Lara said while featuring on a Disney+Hotstar show ‘Follow The Blues.’

“He does the job, and I know the job he does, but I just feel that when you bat that slowly, there are a lot of momentum swings in your innings and you allow the bowlers so many deliveries at yourself, even before you get to three figures – that you are going to find yourself coming up short a lot of times,” he added.

Meanwhile, the third Test of the England vs India series will get underway on Wednesday (August 25) at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Pujara certainly has a point to prove in this game as he hasn’t played a significant knock for a while. Moreover, potent players like Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Agarwal, and Hanuma Vihari are waiting for their chances. Notably, India are 1-0 up in the series after the first two games.