R Ashwin toughest spinner: Cheteshwar Pujara

Hyderabad: Bangladesh may have hung in to take the game into the fifth day with seven wickets in hand but India’s top order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara feels the hosts will wrap up the match well in time.

“We are hopeful that we will get those seven wickets as early as possible, in the next couple of sessions,” Pujara said after Sunday’s play.

The Saurashtra player felt the wicket will play to India’s advantage. “I think the ball has started turning now, probably the wicket is slightly on the slower side but there should be more assistance for spinners tomorrow,” he said.

Pujara was uncharacteristically aggressive in the second innings as he belted an unbeaten 54 off 58 balls that contained six boundaries and a six. “There is a perception that I can’t play many shots. This was one of the occasions that gave me an opportunity to express myself. I am very hopeful that the perception will go soon... I have a T20 hundred in a (all-India) D.Y. Patil tournament match and probably am batting freely. I added a few shots to my game which is helping me,” the 29-year-old said.

Pujara was also all praise for Ashwin. “The kind of brain he has — he thinks as a batsman and sorts out the weakness of batsmen and the areas he needs to bowl. He is the toughest spinner when it comes to any opposition,” he said, adding, “We bowl as a unit, in partnerships... most of the times Ashwin is the one who takes wickets and Jadeja plays the role of holding batsmen. Sometimes Ashwin has to play the role of holding the batsmen and he did in the first innings.”