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| Cheteshwar Pujara shows that being boring is bold, it needs a lifetime of dedication | | | agencies
NEW DELHI, Feb 18: By the end of this Border-Gavaskar series Cheteshwar Pujara would have faced close to 750 overs bowled by Australians. At Ranchi in 2017, he faced a record 523 balls on way to his unbeaten 202. In the 2019 tour of Down Under, he negotiated 1258 balls over 4 Tests. It was during this series, a frustrated Nathan Lyon, in the middle of a long wicketless spell, had asked Pujara: "Don't you get bored while batting?"
That 'boring' tag isn't new for Pujara. In this world, there are two types of sports fans - there are those who want to be entertained and then there are the wiser ones who understand that a team's first and foremost aim is to win. Pujara's art caters to the latter kind.
In his 100 not out Test career, he has proved that his top priority is to pursue the larger dressing room goal of getting the better of their rivals and not be a show-boater. To achieve that spectacular end, if the means are unpopular and boring, so be it.
Pujara doesn't fear the brickbats. He has made an effort to tweak his batting but he hasn't changed the fundamentals of his batsmanship.
The India No. 3's greatest achievement as a Test batsman is his Man of the Series performance in Indian cricket's most elusive win - the first-ever series triumph in Australia in 2019.
He was the hero of the victory that took 71 years and 11 tours. The land of batting greats has over the years sent out its best to conquer Australia, but all had failed
Pujara's history-making 521 runs were the result of him facing 1258 balls. Even during that epic feat, there were long periods of meme-inspiring stone-walling, insults from close-in fielders and boos from the stands. Pujara, though, never got swayed by the noise around him.
In a 2018 Test against South Africa at the Wanderers, Pujara was up against South Africa's deadly five-pronged pace attack. Vernon Philander's first spell had 7 maidens with Pujara playing four of those. It was the
game where he took 53 balls to open his account. He was once again the butt of
jokes. On breaking the duck, Kohli asked him to raise the bat. Pujara smiled, he didn't give-in to his skipper's light-hearted coaxing. He was amused by the reaction of the crowd. Deep inside he must be laughing. Pardon them Lord, he would have thought, little do they know what it takes to face Philander on a lively track
That day Pujara dug in deep, he stopped Philander, Man of the Match under similar conditions at Newlands in the first Test, from running through India's top order. Pujara's 50 and his vital partnership with Kohli would help India win the Test. |
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