‘Pujara used to irritate us’: Tim Paine names Cheteshwar Pujara Australia’s biggest headache vs India

Paine recalls Pujara’s resilience and Pant’s aggression

Puducherry: Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine is in India working with Australia A ahead of their four-day clash with India A starting Tuesday in Puducherry. With the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy scheduled for January-March 2027, Paine told Times of India about the importance of acclimatisation, the next generation of Australian bowlers and his memories of facing India’s Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant.

A tours vital for 2027 Border-Gavaskar preparation

Paine said the ‘A’ tours are vital for Australia’s planning.

“Very important. That’s why we’re investing quite a lot of time and resources into getting the next group of cricketers over here, whether it’s through Australia A, the MRF Foundation or some of the work we do with younger players. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a really important one for us. It’s been more than 20 years since we’ve won it in India. The more times we can get here, acclimatise to the weather, food and different batting and bowling conditions and develop game plans, the better.”

On the upcoming contest, Paine noted India A boast players like Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan.

“We want to see how our players adapt to them. There’s a lot of footage available, but if it was as simple as saying, ‘This is his weakness and this is how you get him out’, they wouldn’t be the player they are now. It’s an amazing experience for our young bowlers to bowl to players of that quality in these conditions.”

‘He used to irritate us’

Asked which Indian batter was hardest to dismiss during his captaincy, Paine had no hesitation.

“(Cheteshwar) Pujara. He was hard to get out. He had great concentration and discipline and was tough. He used to irritate us. We were just trying to get him out. Pat Cummins eventually figured him out a bit and got him caught behind.”

Admiration for Pant’s Gabba knock

Paine also recalled Rishabh Pant’s famous innings at the Gabba.

“I loved the way he came to Australia and played, how aggressive and confident he was. That’s something we’re trying to instil in this young group, the belief that you can go out and change games. That’s what Rishabh did against high-class bowlers. He threw them off their lines and lengths and put them under pressure. It was a great way to play, and a lot of the time I try and encourage our players to do the same thing.”

On Pant’s absence from India’s white-ball set-up, Paine said: “I haven’t watched enough of his white-ball cricket to say. I know his IPL over the last couple of years hasn’t been brilliant, but if he’s playing well, he could be playing in most white-ball teams around the world. It’s probably about capturing that form again and taking his red-ball cricket into white-ball cricket. There’s no reason why someone as skilled and talented as him, if he’s playing well, wouldn’t be a fantastic white-ball player.”

Outlook for next BGT

Paine remains optimistic about Australia’s chances in India in 2027.

“I think Australia have a good chance. Batting-wise, we probably haven’t scored as many runs as we would have liked in the last couple of summers, but there are still some high-quality players in the team. Either way, Australia will be very well prepared and I can’t see any reason why the Aussies can’t win.”