India's No. 3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has, perhaps, spent the most time by an Indian batsman in English county season leading up to the upcoming five-Test series against England. He used his stint with Yorkshire before and after India's one-off Test against Afghanistan last month to the optimum. Though he did not set the grounds afire, he has studied the conditions to prepare well for the crucial series. In this chat with G Krishnan, India's No. 3 batsman talks about the challenges ahead with confidence. Excerpts:

How did your Yorkshire stint go?

I started playing in April. A week before that, there was snowfall. We did not get our first game, it was washed out. Yes, the wickets were challenging. There was enough help for the bowlers. I was confident, I was batting well in the nets and even in the middle. After a start, you sometimes get some balls that are tough, though I won't say they were unplayable. As a batsman, you need a bit of luck especially at the start, which did not go my way. After a while, I started scoring runs in white ball cricket.

How much will the county stint help when the England Test series starts on August 1?

It will definitely help. At the same time, when you are playing Test cricket, the bowlers are different, the pitches might be slightly different. The county experience will definitely help me in Tests. At the same time, you cannot take anything lightly because you have experience. You can be successful. You still have to prepare well, focus and still score runs. Yes, experience will help, but when I start playing Tests, focus and preparations have to be there. It is a big series and all of us will prepare well.

What is life as a county cricketer?

Life is easier. The good thing is you get enough with a family, you can go out for a meal, be on your own. Not many recognise you. You can walk on streets, live a normal life. In India, you hardly get to go out, you cannot walk on the streets without being recognised. Here, you can visit a super market, go out for shopping, have a normal life and drive around. Even for away games, you don't have to take flights. Here it is maximum 3-4 hours drive. It is quite convenient, spending time with Yorkshire boys, I have played in the past, I have known all of them. You spend time with them if family is not around, you go out for a meal, socialise. I enjoyed the culture and the way cricket is played, I do share my experience and also get to learn. You learn from your mistakes, learn from your experience. I have enjoyed my stint here.

What was it like to be playing alongside Joe Root? Did talking to him give you insights into the England team?

No insight as such. Now-a-days, all matches are televised. When England played Pakistan, we saw what team they played. We don't need any extra insight. Everything is open now. They also know what Indian team is about. You have all the info in the world. When I talk to Joe Root, I talk about international experience, the opponents, the different teams he has played against, as a batsman, as a cricketer how someone prepares, the kind of life one lives. You always discuss normal things, not always about cricket. I don't think there is anything extra you need to know. There is enough footage. You know what their bowling strengths and weaknesses are.

In the upcoming series, four of the five venues are the same as that in 2014 tour. How much will the familiarity of the venues help?

When we play again there, the situation or condition might be different. At the same time, when you have played there in the past, it always helps. You know what to expect out of of this ground. It may be slightly different but won't be massive. You know the pitch behaves in certain manner. If you know that, it will always help. Having played in four venues, it will help the team.

You batted at No. 4 in your last 2 Test innings – in Johannesburg against South Africa and in Bengaluru against Afghanistan. Having batted almost your entire life at No. 3, how different is it at No. 4?

Not a major difference because you are still batting at the top of the order, you still have the same job of scoring runs for the team. It was a one-off situation where the team combination was such that I had to change my position. There is still some difference but you still have to do the job for the team.

Even if there is a minor difference, what is it?

At No. 4, you get see the pitch. You have a little more time to understand the game plan, what the bowlers are doing. At No. 3, if you lose an opener early, you don't know how the pitch will behave as the bowlers are fresh and there is enough help for the bowlers. Once the pitch settles down after a session, it is easy to bat, comparatively. It also depends on where you are playing.

Do you mind the No. 4 position? How comfortable are you there?

Basically, I have been batting at No. 3. Obviously, after the team discussions, I will mostly continue to bat at No. 3. But with team situations and requirements, if it is a one-odd game, and have to do it for the team, you should be okay. Most likely, I will bat at No. 3. It is something that I can't say much about. We have a big series coming up and the main focus is on that. I have enough experience batting at No. 3. Batting at No. 4 is not tough. If you are batting at Nos 4 or 5 and suddenly asked to open or bat at 3, it is tough. But not the other way round.

Do you fear for your place in the playing 11?

Not at all. There is nothing to fear about. With the way I have performed for the Indian team, the way I have contributed, I don't think I need to fear about anything. At the same time, the team has understood the importance of my role and my contribution for the team. I don't have to fear for anything. Obviously, when it comes to Test, I have a role to play for the team. Everyone understands that. The most important thing is to perform for the Indian team, which I have been doing.

What was the experience of playing Rashid Khan in the Afghanistan Test? Others have played him in IPL, unlike you...

He is different than the others. He is someone who is slightly difficult to pick compared to other spinners in the world. At the same time, when it comes to red ball cricket, you have plenty of time, you get loose balls. He is a talented bowler and if he continues to improve, he will do well in Tests. In white ball cricket, the way he has been bowling, he is a good bowler. With more experience and exposure, he will get better.

Was Afghanistan bowling the easiest you have faced in Tests?

I would not say so. They had a decent bowling line up. Their batting was slightly weak. Their bowling was reasonably good. I won't say they were the weakest I have ever faced. It also differs with situation. Maybe the situation was easy. We were on top. Conditions was challenging when I went in to bat. It was overcast and I was playing under lights, which is always difficult especially with the red ball. You hardly play under lights. After a while, I was playing under lights, which was slightly tough.

Could the South Africa tour earlier this year have gone better?

Could have been better. I was batting well. The way I was batting in the last Test, I was satisfied. In the first Test, I got a really good ball. Could not have done much about it. I thought we played good cricket, competed really well. It was a good series. It was a series that gave us a lot of confidence as a team. We learnt many things, especially, the most important thing was the way we competed. We played as a team. Even individually, I was batting well. Sometimes you will not get big scores all the time, even a fifty on challenging pitch is equal to scoring a hundred.

You took 53 balls to open your account in the Johannesburg Test. Was it the most challenging innings you have played?

It was one of the toughest pitches I have played on. Even the scorecard suggested that. It was a pitch very difficult to score runs on. I took a lot of time to get off the mark. There was enough movement and deviation, especially the first couple of hours, really challenging. You always feel you are never set.

PUJARA IN ENGLAND (2014 TESTS)

Matches 5 Innings 10 Runs 222 Average 22.20 Highest 55 100s/50s 0/1 Catches 5

DID YOU KNOW?

Cheteshwar Pujara was called 'Steve' by his Yorkshire teammates. "Teammate Jack Brooks gave me the name Steve. They could not pronounce Cheteshwar and randomly came up with this name," said Pujara.