Cheteshwar Pujara said on Saturday that winning the ICC Test Championship will be a much bigger achievement than winning any ODI or T20I World Cup.
Team India has currently scored 360 points from the first seven Test matches and is in the running to play the finals of the inaugural World Test Championship at Lord’s.
Pujara said, “When you become Test champions, I would say it is more than winning an ODI or a T20 World Cup. The reason is, this format is the ultimate format.”
Pujara, who last played a limited-overs match for India in 2014, also said, “If you ask any great cricket player from the past, even the present cricketers, they would say that Test cricket is the most challenging format of this game. And when you become world champion of Test cricket, there is nothing like it.“
Team India has started the ICC World Test Championship with a blast, winning over West Indies, South Africa, and Bangladesh with 2-0, 3-0, and 2-0 respectively. They will now face New Zealand in a two-match Test series starting from February 21 in Wellington.
“Most of the teams have done well in their home conditions but when they go away, they are always challenged. Especially about the Indian team, we have managed to do well overseas. We have now started winning series overseas,” said the right-handed batsman.
“So, that is the biggest advantage this Indian team has now. Talking about the Test championship, any team who gets into the final, they have to work really hard for over a period of two years and they have to win not just at home but also they have to start winning away from home.”
Pujara said the World Test Championship is a good decision by the ICC, as it has made the traditional format of the game more competitive.
“To sustain Test cricket, ICC had to come up with something and all the cricket playing nations have to think about Test cricket. To sustain Test cricket, I think this is one of the best platforms players can ask for. And there is something to play for in each and every Test match. You won’t see many draws now,” he said.
“So going forward, most of the Test matches will produce results. At the same time, even the opposition side, if they manage to play a draw, they will still get some points. Overall I think we’ll see a lot of competitive cricket at the Test level. But going forward, I think we still have to do a few more things for the Test format to survive.”
