3 reasons why Cheteshwar Pujara could be India's most important batter for WTC 2023 Final

There are less than two months to go for the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia set to take place at The Oval.

With most of the Indian Test team regulars taking part in a completely different format in the IPL, Cheteshwar Pujara's county stint with Sussex catches the eye.

Pujara has been the bedrock of India's batting order in Test cricket for quite a while now, and there's no doubt he'll be one of their most important batters in the WTC Final. Here are three reasons why.

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#3 Batting position

The No.3 position is the most important in pretty much every format of the game, especially so in Test cricket. Most of the world's best batters have batted at No.3 or No.4, and batting at 1 down for India, Pujara has plenty of responsibility on his shoulders.

No batter has even come close to wresting that spot from Pujara in a long time, and in a one-off knockout game, he will need to use every ounce of experience he has to anchor and hold the Indian innings together.

The fact that he plays at such an important position and performs such an important role for the side makes him India's most important batter.

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#2 His ability to tire out opposition bowlers and stellar record against Australia

Cheteshwar Pujara is someone the Australian bowlers won't want to bowl to.

Cheteshwar Pujara and tiring out opposition bowlers have almost become synonymous with each other. The Australian bowlers, especially, almost became sick of Pujara after a point, given that he enjoys batting against them, both at home and Down Under.

While there is a difference in the conditions between England, India, and Australia, Pujara's temperament and ability to blunt the new ball and drain the energy of the opposition bowlers doesn't change.

This is especially important because the key to scoring runs in England is to blunt the new ball and start scoring runs as it gets older and the bowlers become tired, and that's something that Pujara, with his rock-solid technique, excels at.

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#1 Improved knowledge of the conditions due to his County stint

Cheteshwar Pujara has been playing some amazing cricket for Sussex in his time in England, impressing both in the One-Day and First Class cricket. Pujara top-scored for them in the 2022 season, amassing 1094 runs in eight matches, averaging a staggering 109.40.

Pujara, now the captain of Sussex in County Championship Division Two, is probably the most well-versed with the English conditions due to his extended stint playing county cricket.

While the quality of bowlers may not match up to what he will face in the WTC final, he'll definitely have gotten to play some challenging deliveries in testing conditions and have an overall better idea of how to approach and build an innings in England.

India will want nothing more than to make up for their defeat in the 2021 WTC Final and beat the Aussies to prove that they are the No.1 Test side in the world, and Pujara will be an important part of their plans.