Murali Vijay had been busy playing the patience game when Pujara arrived. He stuck to that role, even as Pujara turned a tad aggressive. Pujara stayed on the back foot as Woakes and Broad tested him. At no point did Vijay do anything different. He essayed patience and stepped out to the spinners whenever they offered flight.It worked.
“We know each other’s strengths. We know what the opposition is trying to do and we keep communicating. Both of us have been playing Test cricket for India for a long time. In the team, me and him are the only ones who are playing only Tests. We spend a lot of time together, not only on the field but talking about the game, about this format,” Pujara said of his teammate and opening batsman.
When he got out, caught at a widish first slip by Alastair Cook off Ben Stokes, Pujara thumped the bat on his pads. He was clearly annoyed with himself. Vijay would join him in the dressing room soon.
(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:oneindia.com)
