Pujara Over Kohli, Legends Over Modern Stars: Cummins Reveals His Toughest Opponents
For India, Cummins went with Cheteshwar Pujara, a batter who became synonymous with patience and resilience in Test cricket. Pujara was never the easiest batter to dismiss, particularly when he decided to occupy the crease for long periods; Cummins underscored the impact that an earlier generation had on his career.
Xtratime Webdesk: Pat Cummins has shared the cricket field with some of the biggest names of the modern era, but the players who left the strongest impression on the Australian star came from a generation known for its remarkable skill, character and consistency. For India, Cummins went with Cheteshwar Pujara, a batter who became synonymous with patience and resilience in Test cricket. Pujara was never the easiest batter to dismiss, particularly when he decided to occupy the crease for long periods; Cummins underscored the impact that an earlier generation had on his career.
Cummins’ other choices followed a similar pattern. Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, England’s Alastair Cook, South Africa’s AB de Villiers, New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and West Indies great Chris Gayle all featured among the players he found particularly difficult to deal with.
The list is interesting not just because of the names, but because of what it says about the battles Cummins remembers most. Kohli and Rohit have been among the defining Indian batters of the modern era, but Cummins’ choice of Pujara points towards a different kind of challenge. Pujara’s selection is a fitting recognition of a Test career built on patience, resilience and consistency. The recently retired batter played 103 Tests for India, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties. His ability to occupy the crease for long periods and absorb relentless pressure, leave deliveries and make bowlers work for every wicket made him one of India’s most dependable Test batters of his generation.
Across the list, Cummins has picked players with very different styles. Cook and Pujara could frustrate attacks with their patience, while De Villiers, Gayle, McCullum and Dilshan could change the game with their attacking approach.
For a bowler who has spent years facing some of the biggest names in world cricket, Cummins’ choices offer a glimpse into the opponents who left the strongest impression, and most of them belong to a generation that has already moved on.
