Pat Cummins Names Cheteshwar Pujara Toughest Indian Batter He Faced

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has named Cheteshwar Pujara as the toughest Indian batter he has bowled to, placing him ahead of modern greats such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The fast bowler made the choice while being asked to pick the hardest opponent he has faced from each major cricketing nation during his decorated career.

Grit That Wore Bowlers Down

Speaking to Prime Video Sport, Cummins said Pujara was extremely difficult to dismiss, describing the experience as “death by a thousand paper cuts”. According to the bowler, Pujara was quite willing to play out a hundred dot balls and would never offer the attack a chance. That patience played a massive part in India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy successes in 2018-19 and 2020-21, when Australian bowlers repeatedly found his resistance impossible to break.

Cummins also picked standout rivals from other countries. For Pakistan, he chose spinner Saeed Ajmal, recalling how one delivery bowled him cleanly and left him stunned, unlike anything he had seen. His list further included Alastair Cook of England, AB de Villiers of South Africa, Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka and Chris Gayle of West Indies. Notably, every player he named has since retired from international cricket.

Pujara’s Numbers Back the Praise

Pujara announced his retirement from international cricket in 2025, ending a career built on resilience. He finished with 7,195 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 43.6, including 19 hundreds and 35 fifties. He also represented India in five One Day Internationals, scoring 51 runs.

Cummins’ tribute highlights a truth familiar to Test bowlers: batters who refuse to surrender their wicket can be just as draining to face as those who attack. For Australia, which battled Pujara in two memorable series, the admiration is clearly hard-earned, and his selection over flashier Indian stars speaks volumes about the impact of his stubborn approach.