No MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma: Pat Cummins names ‘toughest’ Indian player he has faced

Cheteshwar Pujara and Pat Cummins. (AP photo) Pat Cummins has faced some of the biggest names in Indian cricket during his international career, but when asked to name the toughest Indian opponent he has faced, the Australian captain did not pick MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.Instead, Cummins reverted to a player who repeatedly tested Australia’s patience during two memorable Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, picking Cheteshwar Pujara as his toughest Indian opponent.The Australia Test and ODI captain made the confession in a recent promotional video for Prime Video Sport where he was asked to name the toughest player he has faced from India, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indies.As for India, there was little hesitation in his choice.“India, I’ll say, Pujara. Really tough to get out. Like death by a thousand cuts. Happy if he wants to face 100 dot balls. He won’t give you a chance,” Cummins said in a video shared on social media.Pujara’s reputation as a steady presence at the crease was particularly evident against Australia. He played 25 Tests against them and amassed 2,074 runs at an average of 49.38.Almost half of those runs, 993, came in Australia, where Pujara hit three centuries and five fifties. His highest score Down Under was 193.The 2018-19 and 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series remain synonymous with Pujara’s determined opposition against Australia’s pace, including Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.Pujara retired from international cricket last year after a career spanning 103 Tests for India. He finished with 7,195 runs at an average of 43.6, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties.

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Cummins picked Brendon McCullum as his toughest New Zealand opponent, recalling the former New Zealand skipper’s aggressive approach at the top of the order.“I played Brendan McCullum a couple of times from New Zealand when he was really hard at the top of the order,” Cummins said.For Pakistan, Cummins opted for former spinner Saeed Ajmal, “Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal. It was like the last ball of the over; I walked in, Saeed Ajmal just walked in and I went, what? Clean bowling. I’ve never seen anything like that,” Cummins said.His selection of the remaining countries was equally remarkable. Sir Alastair Cook was his pick from England, AB de Villiers from South Africa, Tillakaratne Dilshan from Sri Lanka and Chris Gayle from the West Indies.