It has been 11 innings since Cheteshwar Pujara last scored a Test ton. Out of those eleven, he didn’t get a chance to bat in two. In between those eleven, he scored one half century against South Africa at Mohali last year and faced 159 balls to score 46 against West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica a month ago in August. For a Test cricket connoisseur, Cheteshwar Pujara’s dead bat defense is a delight; those hazel eyes looking at the red cherry right till the last moment, only to leave it alone and thud back to the keeper’s gloves is a great visual. That wait for a loose delivery; that tenacity against a great spell and that patience to strike at the right time, Pujara displays it all on that cricket strip. It is the same quality that has raised his bar to score and score big. But when the runs go dry, the same patience and resolve goes unnoticed to make way for talks of ‘technical’ flaws & ‘out of form’. Pujara understands this, laughs it away and speaks about a self-belief that he assures will make all the right noises soon just like the sweet spot of his bat. In a conversation with BCCI.TV, Pujara speaks about his mental space, the upcoming New Zealand tour and why he is feeling positive about the things to come. Here’s more. It is common belief - When Pujara scores, he scores big - have huge triple figure scores always fascinated you? I always had the habit of scoring big runs right from my Under-14 days. From U-14, I continued that habit in my U-19 game and then displayed the same in Ranji Trophy as well scoring triple centuries. Once I start scoring big runs, I get my natural game back and I am more confident. I have an improved concentration, I am more focussed and I see the ball better. I feel once I score big runs or reach a 200-run-mark, I have a different feeling. Scoring runs and scoring big has always fascinated me since childhood. I prefer to score big runs. When I am on a big score, it is there to see that the team has a big score on the board. We as a team believe that if we have an opportunity to put close to 600 runs on the board, then you never allow the opposition to comeback in the game. That is the prime reason why there is stress on converting your hundreds into big hundreds. Personally, I don’t like to get out cheaply and for that matter nobody does. But if I have just reached a hundred, I am in a zone where I understand I can play freely and what pace I have to accelerate. You have set such high standards for yourself. Does it bother you that it has been long since you have reached the triple figure mark that as you mentioned love so much? Not really. I am always positive. I always believed that I was batting well though I didn’t score big runs. I spoke to Rahul Dravid and he told me that there wasn’t any technical flaw. He told me it was just about changing the mental aspect of my game. The moment I started thinking positively, I told myself that it was just a matter of time before I played a big innings and things would get back on track. Is the Duleep Trophy double century one of those innings that will help you get back into the groove? I would agree to the fact that the Duleep Trophy double century was a sort of an innings that I needed before the start of a Test series. Actually the 166 that I scored in my first game of the tournament was the turning point. That innings brought in me the confidence. Having said that, I feel I was batting well in West indies as well, especially in the second game where I scored 46 runs and got run out the moment I was about to accelerate. I did get disappointed but I never let my confidence down. I knew it was just a matter of time. I am in a positive frame of mind after the Duleep Trophy. Those runs will definitely help me in the upcoming series against New Zealand. I don’t think I need to worry much about my batting now. I just need to stay focussed. As a batsman, do you feel even those 30s and 40s do a world of good though you ain’t getting a big score? If you are out of form, you won’t cross the 30 or 40-run mark. Most of the times when you are out of form, you won’t even reach double figures. I thought if I am scoring those 30-odd runs and I am batting for a session scoring those; it meant I was batting well. I was playing out bowling spells from Shannon Gabriel well and I was sighting the ball well. I was getting used to the pace of the wicket. There are some minor factors that you would want to assess as a batsman but you have to tell yourself that it is just a matter of time. Is it difficult to keep backing yourself at a time when that ‘one knock away’ kind of innings is tough to come by? It is difficult to stay in that positive frame of mind because I am known to score big runs. I know at times if I get out on 150+, people will say I should have gone on to score a double hundred. But, you have to understand you can’t score double hundreds every single day. It requires a lot of concentration and commitment and your body gets tired. It is not easy to score big runs all the time and there will be times when you score a handy 70 or 80 that would be helpful for the team. Those knocks might not get appreciated but from the team’s perspective you have done your job. I want to score runs that can help the team’s cause and if I have done that, I will be satisfied. When I don’t score big, I do get disappointed. At the same time, I have to be realistic to assess the situation and conditions. I need to tell myself that, “Look you have tried your best but the runs didn’t come.” In that case I will always go back to nets and work on my game, improve and tell myself that the next game I am going to get a big one. How do you look at the upcoming series against New Zealand, from a team’s perspective? It is going to be a challenging series for us against New Zealand. We have the chance to become No.1 again and the aim will be to be on top for a long time. To achieve that, we have to play exceptionally in the series that we play ahead. The first Test match against New Zealand will be very crucial to get that momentum into the series. We have been dominant over the last few Test series and we need to continue that. They are more experienced now and they know which areas to bowl. But we know our conditions well and know how to counter their attack. I don’t see an area where we have to be worried about. We need to continue doing the things we have done right. We know our way of succeeding. How important is it to start fresh and not look into past records or milestones before playing an opposition? Sometimes, you can tell yourself that you have done well against a particular opposition in the past, but cricket is about being in the present. I would still look at the series as a fresh start and a new Test match against New Zealand. I know I scored a century against them, but that was way back in 2012. You can’t take that confidence in this Test match. I would instead go to the nets and gear up for the first Test. KL Rahul is fast becoming a vital cog in that batting wheel. He has done well at the top of the order. How do you look at stiff competition? I feel it is good for Indian cricket. There has to be some competition in the team to reach higher standards. We are raising the bar all the time. KL Rahul is a very good batsman and a dear friend of mine. I feel as a cricketer, you should always wish well for your teammates. I believe if other players are succeeding, you can go and talk to them and share your experience and at the same time learn from them. How dear is that number three batting position for you? I wouldn’t say I would look to cement a particular batting position. I obviously love batting at number three and I have batted at the top order right from the beginning in first-class cricket. I have lot of experience playing at No.3. Even for the Indian team, I have scored most runs batting at that position. I love batting there because it puts me under a bit of pressure but helps me be responsible. My strength is my technique. If you are technically correct, you can overcome challenges and situations when the ball is moving or turning. When you want to lay a foundation for a big score, the top order has to succeed. I do feel I fit in a good role for that purpose. You’ve played under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. How do you see them as leaders and how have they shaped individuals within the team? One thing that is common between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli as captains is that at the end of the day they want the team to win. The dressing room under both captains has a very good environment. I have enjoyed playing under Mahi bhai and at the moment enjoying my time playing under Virat’s captaincy. Virat is very straightforward. He leads by example. I don’t need to talk about his batting because he has been scoring runs aplenty but if you see his fielding and fitness regimes, it inspires everyone in the dressing room. He sets the bar high for all the other players to follow. The team looks up to him and there will be individuals saying - I want to achieve this landmark.