Present is not tense for Pujara ahead of big day

New Delhi, February 14

Senior India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who is set to play his 100th Test, is not concerned about the chatter regarding his age and how long will he continue to play.

The 35-year-old says he has not set a retirement date 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 said today.

“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 — Sachin Tendulkar leads the pack with 200 Tests — when he comes out to bat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against Australia on Friday.

He made his Test debut in 2010 against Australia and has kept himself in the reckoning in the longest format since then, overcoming the lows in his professional career with hard work and determination.

His family will also be there to cheer him on the big day, but Pujara is focused on the task at hand. “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. There will be two more Tests after that which will be very important for us to win to qualify for the WTC final,” he said.