Leading a team which has a fair sprinkling of young blood and senior pros, Cheteshwar Pujara knows he has a clear task at hand and the India A skipper is up for the challenge.
Speaking on the eve of the four-day game tour opener against the West Indies ‘A’, Pujara said, “I think the good thing is that we play in India, we know the conditions and an added good point is that we have played against the West Indies.
“I was there and a lot of other players too have played against the West Indies ‘A’ team when we toured there. It is a positive thing for us. It is a good opportunity for all the young players. If you look at the teams, all the youngsters are getting chances,” said the prolific batsman.
With the players eyeing a place in the Indian squad for the upcoming West Indies series at home, Pujara believes the ensuring three weeks will be crucial.
“We have the Test series coming up against the West Indies and I think many of the bowlers and batsmen will be part of that Test squad as well. So it is an opportunity for all the youngsters, who want to be a part of the Test squad and players like me, who are already part of the Test squad. We will get the experience and the kind of exposure that we wanted against them.”
On the team preparation, Pujara who is a proven talent in the longer version of the game, said, “I think we have had decent preparation, we have a good team combination, we have an experienced bowling line-up and we have a young batting line-up. We are looking forward to this and I am hoping we will do well. When I lead the senior players, my job becomes easier as I don’t need to motivate them.’