KOLKATA: Ahead of India’s historic 250th Test on home soil, coach Anil Kumble backed Cheteshwar Pujara amidst question marks over his strike rate.
Questions were raised after captain Virat Kohli admitted that the team management had held talks with the top-order batsman to increase his scoring tempo. Pujara had been dropped for the third Test in the West Indies after he failed to accelerate despite getting off to strong starts in the first two Tests.
But, Kumble rebuffed those allegations. “I’m an old-fashioned cricketer. For me, strike rates are for bowlers. Only in the last eight years after the advent of T20s, have people started talking about it.”
Pujara, who scored 16 off 67 balls and 46 off 159 in the first two Tests, was left out for Rohit Sharma in St Lucia. “You need to bat according to the situation. Even in the first Test (during the Caribbean trip), Murali Vijay got out cheaply. He (Pujara) and Shikhar Dhawan had a good partnership till lunch. It was crucial for the team as we went into lunch after losing only one wicket. We all know the importance of the first session.
So, the relevance of Pujara is there,” he added.
After the West Indies tour, Pujara has steadily improved on this aspect of his game. During the recently-held Duleep Trophy, he scored 166 off 280 balls, 31 off 35, and 256 off 363. Even in the Kanpur Test, his strike rate was more than 50.
And, India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests praised the Saurashtra batsman for his efforts. “I’m surprised and a bit disappointed that this talk keeps coming up. Someone should read the situation and be able to play according to it, that’s what the team expects of him. He is a vital cog in our team and plans. He’s been successful, and I know that he will continue to do so.”
The 28-year-old occupies a very important slot in the team, and has been occasionally asked to perform the role of an emergency opener. With regards to pressure on the right-hander, Kumble said, “We have different players with different skill sets. You need such players because of the various challenges that happen in a Test; because every session is different. That’s the beauty of Test cricket. At least from the team’s perspective, there is absolutely no pressure on Pujara.
“We’ve seen his efforts over the years. Even in the last Test, we saw the importance of his contribution to the team’s cause. So, I don’t see pressure on anyone in this team. The beauty about this squad is that there’s hardly any pressure on anyone. Yes, there are roles and responsibilities, but there’s no pressure.”
The former leg-spinner also spoke about the return of Gautam Gambhir, who is back in the squad after a two-year hiatus due to KL Rahul’s injury. “It’s nice to have such a seasoned veteran back with us. But with regards to final eleven, I don’t want to disclose anything. I will just say that all 15 players are fit and available for selection.”
ayantan@newindianexpress.com