CHENNAI: Saviour in countless Tests and one of the prime reasons behind India’s rise to the top of rankings, Cheteshwar Pujara is one character who can keep a cool head in most situations. From grinding out runs to occupying the crease for substantial amounts of time, he has been long touted as the heir apparent of Rahul Dravid.
However, because of his overseas struggles, there are still question marks regarding the Saurashtra batsman’s place in the current team. As the gruelling five-match Test series against England approaches, an under-pressure Pujara needs to redeem himself in the country where the chinks in his armour first surfaced back in 2014.
Last time, Pujara aggregated only 222 runs in 10 innings with just one fifty. His average is the worst by an India No 3 in England. Of his 14 tons, only one has come outside Asia: 153 in Johannesburg back in 2013.
“He has this tendency to overthink and complicate matters. There is no easy solution. A player who has scored runs against the best cannot just turn bad abroad. There are a lot of factors, from the lack of a clearly defined role to technical issues. He needs support from all quarters if he has to come out of this shell,” said former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad.
Being a one-format player in the T20 era has also not helped Pujara’s cause. Talk of a positive strike rate has seeped into the long format. Virat Kohli is known to be an aggressive captain, and he wants his players to bulldoze oppositions instead of grinding out runs.
Most India cricketers, after finishing their Test engagements, go on and play multiple limited-over games. Players who are out of form regain their touch with continuous exposure. However, Pujara has to bide his time and needs to get back to the groove every time the team plays Tests. Not an easy proposition.
“The intensity of the game has gone up several notches. Multiple formats help identify problems; something that has helped Virat become the best. Pujara’s talents have stagnated,” opined Gaekwad.Pujara’s low strike rate and poor conversion are other issues. His style is suited to the subcontinent, where he tires out pacers by leaving and defending. He uses his feet to great effect against spinners, increasing his scoring rate late in the innings.
However, outside the subcontinent, where pacers operate from both ends for long periods, this ploy hasn’t worked for him. Infact, opponents have found ways to restrict his scoring shots, which has made it difficult for Pujara to rotate strike. This has led to scoreboard pressure getting to the remaining batsmen. His dodgy knees rule out quick singles; evident from his two run outs in South Africa.
“The management has to be sure about his role. He can block one end while others can play their usual game. His low strike rate is mostly due to his inability to take quick ones and twos. However, he is still India’s best option for No 3,” Gaekwad opined.
He tried to remedy this ill through English county cricket. In the last two seasons, he has one century and a fifty in 14 matches. This season for Yorkshire, he has 172 runs in 12 innings, getting bowled or trapped lbw eight times. Even against Essex in India’s warm-up game, he could muster only 1 and 23.
With KL Rahul in imperious form, the management may well opt for him, as he suits Kohli’s brand of cricket. “The best thing for India is that they have Rahul ready to take up any slot in the top-order. But Pujara needs to play the first game as the heatwave might just make the pitch more suited to his strengths. If his overseas drought continues, then the think-tank can opt for an alternative,” the 65-year-old added.
Interestingly, Dravid was close to Pujara’s age when he went on his second tour of England and returned with the nickname ‘The Wall’. The onus is now on Pujara to take up the mantle.
ayantan@newindianexpress.com