IND vs SA LIVE: Pujara declares, 'We can win in any condition'

IND vs SA LIVE: Cheteshwar Pujara- India batting mainstay Cheteshwa Pujara feels that India can win in any condition with the current bowling & batting lineup. He stressed that the victories in Australia and England will be used as a confidence booster ahead of their final frontier- South Africa. Follow India Tour of South Africa live updates on InsideSport.IN

IND vs SA LIVE: Cheteshwar Pujara declares, ‘We can win in any condition and with our bowling and batting lineup’

IND vs SA Boxing Day Test: Can Virat Kohli finally score a century in international cricket after 765 days?

“I think having done well in England and Australia will make a big difference in this squad’s confidence and self-belief that we can move overseas. We can win in any condition and with our bowling and batting lineup, we have the capacity to win a series in South Africa,” Pujara told the BCCI.

Team confidence ✅
Personal preparation ✅
South Africa challenge ✅@cheteshwar1 covers all bases in this interview with https://t.co/Z3MPyesSeZ

Full interview 🎥 🔽 #TeamIndia #SAvIND https://t.co/7ML9NJkYRu pic.twitter.com/7xhLiyJJcA

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 23, 2021

Question 1: How is your experience in South Africa?

Answer: First of all, this is the best bubble that I’ve been part of where you can move around freely. You can get fresh air and there’s a lot of space to move around. So, that helps when it comes to your mental preparation. You are much more relaxed and you’re in an environment where you are close to nature. I feel we have the best support staff and most of the players have played in South Africa in the past. So, it’s an experienced side and we know what is expected of our team. And when it comes to preparation, all of us are ready.

Question 2: How is your experience of playing in South Africa?

Answer: Most of the teams play well in their home conditions. So, it’s the same with the South African Team. They are one of the best bowling lineups and facing one of the best fast bowlers in South Arica has always been challenging. When I first came here in 2011, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel both of them were at their peak. I visited again in 2013 and 2017. So, I understood what was expected and when you are a visiting team, you know there is pace and bounce here.

There’s lateral movement and facing the fast bowlers is always a big challenge when we go out of India. But this team has learned that and I feel that this is a much more balanced batting lineup also. So, I feel that we’ll be able to tackle that. With our preparation, we feel that we’ll be able to put up a good show.

Question 3: How are you preparing for the upcoming Test series?

Answer: With experience, you learn so many things and I feel that you just start believing in your preparations. You don’t need to change too much because of my tours in South Africa and Australia, I know the conditions a little better than what I have done in the past. So, with that experience, I know how to prepare and what kind of shots I can play. What kind of shots one needs to avoid. So, you are a little more clear with your preparation and with your mindset.

Cheteshwar Pujara is under fire to perform in the Test series. He has failed to pay dividends in the last few matches dispute complete backing from the team management. His recent average has dropped as compared to his overall average with no centuries in the last couple of years.