Cheteshwar Pujara opens up on brutal body blows he endured during iconic BGT series

Cheteshwar Pujara opens up on getting hit. (Photo: X)

Cheteshwar Pujara will always be remembered as one of the finest Test batters of India. Pujara ended his career after playing 103 Tests, scoring 7,195 runs, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties. Throughout his career, he showcased hunger, grit, and determination, especially while batting at number three for India.

One of the biggest examples of his resilience came during the famous 2020/21 Gabba Test against Australia. Pujara scored a crucial 56 runs in India’s successful chase of 328 in the fourth innings.

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While Rishabh Pant was named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock, it was Pujara’s 211-ball vigil that kept one end secure. He first stitched a 114-run partnership with Shubman Gill, followed by 35 runs with Ajinkya Rahane, and then a 61-run stand with Pant.

However, the innings was far from easy. Pujara was repeatedly struck on the body — on his thigh, shoulder, arm, glove, and helmet. Some blows left him visibly in pain, and one even caused a blood clot on his shoulder.

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Now, in an exclusive chat with RevSportz, Pujara reflected on how he managed to show such grit despite enduring those painful blows. He even claimed that series to be a high point of his career.

“It’s very difficult to describe and I do not know how I did that but one thing I can say is that when you’re looking at the bigger picture and playing for your country, you put everything on the line for that one purpose and things do fall in place,” he said.

“Also, I do believe in a superpower or God and when you’re dedicated towards the game, doing everything you can do to do well for the country… you get that external support from somewhere. You get that mental toughness, the threshold to bear pain, because I do not know if I have to do it again whether I will be able to do it,” he added.

“As a sportsperson, when you get hit on the body, that is something you get used to, but when it keeps happening again and again and you get hit 3-4 times on the same spot, your pain threshold reduces and you get this temptation to score runs or get out as you cannot survive. Somehow, I got that strength, and as I mentioned it is hard to describe, but there was a superpower that was helping me throughout I believe,” Pujara concluded.