Pujara eyeing Australia series for comeback

NEW DELHI: Talented Saurashtra batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is confident that he will be able to make a comeback to the national side during India's tour of Australia in December-January.

Pujara underwent a surgery on his right knee after sustaining an injury during the last edition of IPL. Currently, he is undergoing rehabilitation and is expected to be match-fit by October end.

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"I was disappointed that I had to miss out on twin tours of West Indies and England due to injury. I wish I would have been in England but you can't control injuries. Right now my full focus is on recovering as quickly as possible," Pujara said.

He has now set his sights on India's year-end tour of Australia. "I am aiming to make a comeback for India's tour of Australia. I would be fully fit by October end."

The 23-year-old impressed in his debut Test match against Australia in Bangalore when he struck 72 coming in at No. 3 in a winning cause. However he didn't score too many during South Africa series.

"That half century against Australia gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel that I belong to this level. Once you have that self confidence, it makes your job a lot easier. You start feeling that you can comeback as you have the ability to deliver at the highest level."

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As it has been a long lay-off for Pujara, the youngster is even more hungry for runs.

Despite India's poor show in England, the middle-order batsman backed his mates. "We have played well in South Africa. It's a one-off thing. One bad series doesn't make us a bad team. We would surely bounce back," he concluded.