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'The guy who won them the series was...' - Australia's Tim Paine heaps praises on star Indian batter for splendid performance in BGT 2021

Australia's batter Tim Paine, who was involved in the series back then, revealed that Cheteshwar Pujara, with his prolific batting, won them the series. 

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Arunima Purohit
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Tim Paine

Tim Paine (Source: X)

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2021 was a lot more dramatic than any other series, as India went on to win it by 2-1. The last Test match is still etched in the fans' memories as Rishabh Pant's heroic batting on the final day helped India win the match and claim the series. However, Australia's batter Tim Paine, who was a part of the series back then as a skipper, revealed that it was Cheteshwar Pujara who won them the series with his prolific batting. 

While talking in The Grade Cricketer Podcast, Paine said, "What I do remember, a lot of people talk about Rishabh Pant in the last series in Australia, but the guy who won them the series was Pujara. He wore us down, he wore our fast bowlers down. He kept getting hit on the body, but he kept getting up. There is still place for that in Test cricket."

Pujara had been the backbone of the Indian innings in both Sydney and Brisbane, where Pant shined as a hero. In Syndey, Pujara scored a magnificent 77 runs off 205 balls, while in Brisbane, he scored 56 runs off 211 balls. The anchoring innings helped the team keep wickets from the end while Pant continued with his fearless game. Not just Pujara, even Ajinkya Rahane was given very little credit while he was the captain of the team in the last game. 

The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 starts on November 22

After a disappointing New Zealand series at home, India will be travelling to Australia to play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024. The highly anticipated Test series will start on November 22, in Perth. The New Zealand series wasn't very fruitful as India lost two games out of three, meaning they now have to win four out of six games and draw two games to reach the WTC finals. 

While this seems impossible, India will still have to try their best to keep their record in Australia and qualify for the WTC 2025 finals. This will be their third final, consecutively. 

Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy Tim Paine
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