Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has revealed who is the toughest Indian batter he has faced in international cricket, and it is neither Virat Kohli nor Rohit Sharma. Cummins picked former India Test player Cheteshwar Pujara and if you wanted to put Cheteshwar Pujara in line of the Indian batsmen and how hard he is willing to stay in the middle of the field (and not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma).
Cummins was asked to name the toughest opponents he had faced from different cricketing nations recently by Prime Video Sport. When it comes to India, the Australian fast bowler went with Pujara and recalled the difficulty of dismissing the former No. 3 batter.
Cummins said bowling to Pujara to be like “death by a thousand paper cuts” and spoke of the batter’s ability to defend for long periods without allowing bowlers a chance to strike. Pujara could face a lot of dot balls without any pressure to take such risky shot, the Australian captain said.
“India, I am going to say, Pujara. He is really hard to get out. It’s like death by a thousand paper cuts. Happy to see 100 dot balls if he wanted to. He isn’t going to give you a chance,” Cummins said.
Pujara’s Resilience made him so difficult to dismiss.
Pujara had a reputation for being a difficult Test batter based on his defensive methods, concentration and ability to absorb pressure. He was that good when he had to be in the middle of the game, he would stay up very long and be a constant menace to the opposition bowlers.
His performances against Australia were the core of his international career. Pujara was instrumental to India’s historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy series wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. For him, in those campaigns he had the capacity to wear down Australia’s bowling attack.
Cummins was part of the Australian bowling attack in both series and experienced firsthand the challenge of bowling to Pujara. The former India batter's ability to leave deliveries, defend against quality pace and remain at the crease for long periods tested the patience of opposing bowlers.
Cummins Names Tough Opponents From Other Countries
Cummins also named difficult opponents from several other cricketing nations during the interaction. For Pakistan he chose the former spinner Saeed Ajmal, recalling the unpredictability of facing the off-spinner.
Cummins then chose the former captain of England Alastair Cook, while South Africa's AB de Villiers also featured on his list. New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and West Indies great Chris Gayle were also named as names mentioned by the Australian pacer.
Cummins’s selection included players who have retired from international cricket and therefore his selection of Pujara is yet another great acknowledgement of the Indian batsman’s significance in Test cricket.
Pat Cummins has seriously rubbed shoulders with cricketing greatness in his career 🤩🏏#PatCummins #ChrisGayle #ABDeVilliers #Cricket #UniverseBoss pic.twitter.com/11COv9WIFa
— Prime Video Sport AUNZ (@pvsportaunz) September 18, 2026
Pujara's Impressive Test Career
Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket in August 2025 which ended a Test career that spanned more than a decade. He played 103 Tests for India and scored 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60. He had 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries during his career.
Pujara also represented India in five ODIs and scored 51 runs. His last international appearance was in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia.
His Test career was built on long innings and a strong temperament to withstand pressure. His contribution to India's batting was quite evident in overseas settings and especially in the team's record Test series wins in Australia (in particular, the team’s historic Test series wins in Australia).
Pujara’s 7,195 Test runs place him among India’s most prolific Test batters, and his 19 centuries underline his ability to convert long stays at the crease into major scores.
Pat Cummins' Pujara Pick Draws Attention
As Kohli and Rohit are two of the best Indian batsmen of the modern era, Cummins’ decision to pick Pujara shows the difficulty faced by the former Test specialist. Rather than stroke-making or aggression, the Australian emphasised Pujara’s ability to deny bowlers opportunities and make them work for every wicket.
Pujara may have retired from international cricket, but Cummins’ comments on a recent visit show that he did leave a lasting impression on his opponents during his Test career. For an Australian fast bowler who came up against him in some of India’s greatest series wins Down Under, Pujara’s ability to frustrate bowlers is clearly part of his legacy.
