Pujara has been flexible in altering his game as per team's demands: Kohli

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Press Trust of India Melbourne
Last Updated : Dec 30 2018 | 12:30 PM IST

Cheteshwar Pujara didn't exactly have a great tour of Australia in 2014-15 but the Saurashtra batsman has been "flexible in altering his game" as per team's demands which has got him success this time, feels skipper Virat Kohli.

Pujara didn't have a great tour of SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) during the 2014-15 season but is now topping charts after three Tests with 328 runs in three games with two hundreds in team's winning cause.

"Pujara has been a lot more flexible in altering his game very quickly. From the last time he played in Australia, he has made a few changes to his set-up, and that's working for him. He is embracing the fact that if something has been told to him and he has to work on those things, he has worked on it," Kohli said about one of his trusted lieutenants.

With a bowling attack that can get 20 wickets in any conditions, Pujara's role becomes even more crucial reckons Kohli.

"And now that we have the bowling attack that we can rely on to get us 20 wickets and his role becomes even more crucial. If he can bat time and hold one end, and all the other batsmen can bat positively around him, we get 350, touching 400, in conditions in Australia, which puts us in a great position to get a result.

"He (Pujara) realises that even more now. Because of the bowling attack that we have, his job is to hold one end and bat for long hours so that we have a great opportunity to get big runs and put them out of the game. I think that confidence that is seen is because of them (bowlers) and he is embracing that very well," Kohli reasoned.

India have won two Tests in a single series in Australia after 41 years (last time in 1977-78 when Bishan Bedi's side lost 2-3) but the skipper is neither shocked nor surprised with his team's stellar show.

"We knew we had enough time," said Kohli on Sunday. "We always knew we could do this. So although we are very happy, we are not shocked or very surprised by what's happened. We

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First Published: Dec 30 2018 | 12:30 PM IST

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