IND vs AUS: I have just turned 35, there’s still some time – Pujara on his retirement chatters

Cheteshwar Pujara is set to play his 100th Test here on Friday in the second Test between India and Australia. The 35-year-old star batter is not concerned about the chatter regarding his age and how long he will continue to play and would like to take it one match at a time.

“I don’t want to set a target for myself. I want to be in the present. I want to take it one Test match at a time rather than thinking about how long I can play,” Pujara told ESPNCricinfo on Tuesday.

With England pace-bowling stalwarts James Anderson (40 years) and Stuart Broad (36) showing age is no barrier in modern-day cricket, Pujara’s philosophy is simple – enjoy the game and when not able to contribute, consider the next step.

“It’s important to enjoy the game, it’s important to be on top of your game, and whenever you are not able to contribute, or you are not performing to the best of your abilities, you can consider the next step. I have just turned 35. There’s still some time,” he added.

Pujara will become the 13th Indian to play 100 or more Tests when he sets foot on the Arun Jaitley Stadium ground against Australia on Friday, Sachin Tendulkar (200 Tests) leading the list.  

On the upcoming milestone, where his family will be there to cheer him at the stadium, Pujara said, “Yes, it will be my 100th Test match, but you still have a job to do for the team and you focus on that a bit more. We are playing an important series against Australia.

“Yes, the second Test will be my 100th, but there will be two more Tests after that which will be very important for us to win to qualify for the WTC final,” said Pujara, indicating the milestone will be just another footmark in his long professional career.

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