'Pujara's Unsung Brilliance: Yuvraj Mentions Gill and Pant as India's Marathon Man Stuck in Commentary'

Rohit Sharma will not be playing in the Perth Test, while Gill is sidelined due to a fractured finger. This leaves the top order a bit inexperienced, with only Virat Kohli and KL Rahul having prior experience playing in Australia. The final playing XI is still uncertain, but if Dhruv Jurel or Abhimanyu Easwaran get a chance, one of them may have to replicate Pujara's long innings from the previous tour. If India can achieve that, Yuvraj Singh believes it could lead to success in Australia.

"In day cricket, you have to spend time session by session. If you spend time at the wicket in Australia, you get value for it because the pitches and the bounce are true. Last time, Rishabh Pant and Shubman played attacking cricket. Cheteshwar Pujara stood at the wicket and put his body on the line. Pujara is not known for strokeplay, but he is gutsy. Batters good against the short ball have a good chance to score runs. It would help if you had a mix of everything," Yuvraj told Mid-day.

"We have the batting strength. Pant and Shubman performed well last time. If we have to win in Australia, it’s vital that whenever Rohit [Sharma] comes in after the first Test and Virat Kohli, our leading player, both strengthen the middle order. They have to score runs. Pant is very crucial at No. 5. He has to stick to his game and attack. His shots may not look nice sometimes, but he should continue to attack."

Yuvraj, who has played a big role in Gill's emergence, revealed he spoke to the youngster before India's Test series against New Zealand. Gill knows what it's like to score runs. He scored 259 runs from six innings the last time India played a Test series in Australia and has only grown in stature since. With Gill expected to be fit in time for the second Test, he will be driven by the hunger and desire to succeed in one of the toughest countries to score runs in, Yuvraj pointed out.

"I spoke with him before the New Zealand Test series and told him it’s important to prepare just as he had the last time he played in Australia. It was Covid time, and I had worked with him for 19 days. He is more experienced now, and his work ethic is excellent. He will prepare well for this series because he’s hungry to get his first overseas ton," he added.