We are very much in the game: Pujara

We are very much in the game and they also have to bat fourth. First, we'll look to get four wickets and once we get that we have to bat well and put some runs on the board.” Pujara said.

Pujara said that the team will be looking to get all the wickets within 30-40 runs.

Australia might hold the upper hand going into the third day, but batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is in no mood to concede yet.

“I don't think so,” he replied when asked if the 48-run lead was getting a bit out of hand. “We are very much in the game and they also have to bat fourth. First, we'll look to get four wickets and once we get that we have to bat well and put some runs on the board.”

Cheteshwar Pujara's interaction with the media

 

Pujara's confidence might be down to the fact that India's bowlers were persistent all through and let Australia score only 197 runs on the day.

“We can see the run rate and they were not able to score many runs,” he said. “In a way, it was a [small] victory for us. We bowled tight lines. Length was were very good from the fast bowlers. All in all we bowled well and took six wickets and they didn't score many runs.”

Pujara felt that if India could bowl out Australia for the addition of another 30 or 40 runs, it will have an even chance of forcing the issue.

“It will be great [if we could do that],” he said. “I think there is enough help from the pitch. We have to continue to bowl the way we have and we will have some plans tomorrow for [Mitchell] Starc and the other batsman.”

“We have spoken about how to go about our batting in the second innings but I don’t want to reveal it.”