nesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said.UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Ang

Indias coach Anil Kumble has once again thrown his weight firmly behind Cheteshwar Pujara. Speaking strongly two days after Virat Kohli had verified former selector Sandeep Patils revelation that the team management had spoken to Pujara about his strike rate, Kumble said strike rate was relevant for bowlers in Test cricket, not batsmen. He went to the extent of saying he was satisfied with Pujaras performance in the West Indies even though he was dropped for Rohit Sharma in the third Test.On slow pitches against a pretty defensive West Indies attack and field-sets Pujara scored 16 off 67 in Antigua and was run-out for 46 off 159 balls in Kingston before he was dropped. A top-order collapse resulted in his return to the side for the fourth Test, and India have played both Pujara and Rohit in the two Tests since then.Even Im a bit old-fashioned, Kumble said when a journalist asked him about strike rates in Tests. I know there is a lot of strike rate in the last eight years after the advent of T20. As far as I was playing, in Test cricket strike rates were mostly talked about for bowlers and not for batsmen. Thats how I like to look at it. In a team you need different characters, different quality players. Players whose skill sets are suited to different challenges that happen in a Test match. Because weve seen that thats what happens in a Test match. Thats the beauty about Test cricket. From my point of view, as far as I am concerned, strike rates are relevant only for bowlers in Test matches.Kumble complimented Pujara for seeing out a tough period of play in the first session of the series in the West Indies after Shannon Gabriel had removed M Vijay early with a bouncer that also injured his hand. By the time Pujara got out in the 28th over, the sting had been taken out of a limited West Indies attack.I think you need to bat based on situations, Kumble said. Yes, Virat is right that someone like Pujara in the West Indies, probably on one occasion…and he only played two innings. And both those innings were relevant. Even in the first Test match, Vijay got out cheaply and then he and Shikhar [Dhawan] had a good partnership till lunch. That was crucial for the team, because we went into lunch losing only one wicket. And we all know the importance of the first session of a match that is the first Test of a series.So the relevance of Pujara is extreme there. But Im really surprised and a bit disappointed that this talk keeps coming up. As long as someone reads the situation and plays according to the situation, thats what is expected of the team. And he is a very important cog in our team and in our plans. And hes been successful and I know that he will continue to be successful.Even in a different context Kumble continued to defend Pujara. With the inclusion of Gautam Gambhir in the Test squad as back-up opener, Kumble was asked if Pujara could breathe easy and not be asked to open in an emergency scenario. I dont think Pujara has ever breathed easily, from all you guys perspective and some people who are constantly watching him. At least from the team management and the teams perspective, there is absolutely no pressure on Pujara.And weve seen over the years his contribution. Even in the last Test match, we saw the importance of his contribution to the teams cause. So I dont see pressure on anyone in this team. The beauty about this squad is that theres hardly any pressure on anyone, yes there is roles and responsibilities but theres no pressure put on any player.Even after coming back from the West Indies, where Pujara seemed under pressure to keep his place and lost it eventually, Kumble had reassured that Pujara was a vital part of the team. 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Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said.UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Angel McCoughtry tied her career high with four 3-pointers and finished with 26 points, and Sancho Lyttle scored 17 and grabbed 14 rebounds to help the Atlanta Dream hold off the Connecticut Sun 67-63 Sunday.Elizabeth Williams, acquired from the Sun in February, added 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots for the Dream (11-9).McCoughtry hit a 3 to give Atlanta a 64-61 lead with 2:03 left, then had two blocked shots down the stretch. After Alex Bentleys layup pulled Connecticut within one, Lyttles offensive rebound and putback with 20 seconds remaining seealed it.dddddddddddd.Atlanta, ranked ninth in the AP WNBA power poll, led by as many as 15 points, but scored just 10 points in the third quarter. Chiney Ogwumikes layup with 5:35 to play gave the Sun their first lead, 59-58.The Dream outrebounded Connecticut 41-24, 14-5 on the offensive glass.Alyssa Thomas led the 11th-ranked Sun with 19 points. Ogwumike added 11 points, three steals and three blocks.Atlanta has won three in a row after losing six straight. ' ' '