New Zealand Will Have An Advantage Coming Into WTC Final, Says Cheteshwar Pujara

Batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has said handling different conditions on one particular day will be the biggest challenge for India batsmen in England where they play the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand from June 18 and a five-Test series against Joe Roots men in August-September.

"Playing in different conditions on one particular day is the most challenging thing for a batsman because if it rains then you go off the field and then when suddenly it stops raining, you start again. There are breaks in between. This is what you have to understand, and accept the challenge," said Pujara, who bats at No. 3 for India in Test line-up, in a video posted on bcci.tv.

"You have to be mentally strong, your concentration needs to be up to the mark. Having those breaks and getting used to it is really important," added the 33-year-old who was one of the stars for India in the Test series win in Australia this year.

Pujara added that New Zealand will have an advantage going into the WTC final against India that begins on Friday. The Kiwis have played two Test matches against England, at Lord's and Edgbaston, over the past two weeks and won the series.

"They will have an advantage having played two Test matches [against England] before the final but when it comes to the final, we will give our best and we know that our team has the potential to do well and win the championship," the 33-year-old Pujara said.

He also said that the 10-12 day break between arrival and the WTC final provided India time to get acclimatised especially the three-day intra-squad warm-up match that ended on Sunday.

The WTC final is especially significant for the likes of Pujara and Ishant Sharma, who play only Test match cricket.

"Personally it (the WTC final) means a lot to [guys like] me, because we are playing this one format, which is the most challenging. So it means a lot. We have worked really hard and I am sure all the guys are looking forward to it. Winning the final means a lot to us but even reaching the final means the team has worked really hard," said Pujara further.

"Having played cricket during this pandemic has been challenging and the way these guys have managed things, we have come close enough and have spent time together in team room. Whenever we have been in quarantine, we are still inside the bubble," added Pujara who has 6244 runs from 85 Tests.