His records speak for themselves. Yet for all purposes, this Indian Test batsman is an unsung hero. It is mainly because of his batting exploits in Australia that India won a Test series for the first time in that country earlier this year. But then again, he did not get the kudos he deserved. The focus has always been on the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or even for that matter newcomer Mayank Agarwal.
But then why is it so? May be because, Cheteshwar Pujara is the quintessential defensive batsman who believes in grinding down the opposition bowling attack before feasting on them. May be, because he is not seen in any of the shorter formats or for that matter even the IPL or it can be because he prefers to remain in the background.
But it can safely be said that along with Virat Kohli, this Saurashtra batsman has been one of the pillars of Indian batting in the last decade or so. Despite not having those standout tattoos or the bulging biceps, Cheteshwar Pujara never gets tired of scoring runs be it any opposition. His records are simply awesome and it will take some beating when he calls quits. One just hopes that Pujara continues on and on… such is the confidence that he brings with himself.
Born January 25, 1988 in Rajkot, Cheteshwar Pujara has not really been in the limelight. Here are some interesting facts about the Saurashtra player.
Cricketing family: Cheteshwar Pujara is lucky to have his roots in a family which is passionate about cricket. His father Arvind played for Saurashtra in the 1970s while his uncle Bipin represented India Schools on a tour to Australia.
Breaking into cricket: It was a photo of Cheteshwar Pujara playing a short ball when he was kid helped Arvind realise that his son had potential. The picture shows Cheteshwar defending the ball with perfect balance and eyes glued on to it. He was a little over two years than. But it was then and there that Arivnd decided to initiate Cheteshwar Pujara to proper cricket coaching.
All-rounder in the making: Initially Cheteshwar Pujara used to bowl and bat. However, one day former Indian cricketer and national selector Karsan Ghavri saw him in a match. He told Arvind that Cheteshwar should concentrate on batting only and the rest is now history.
Mumbai stint: Cheteshwar first came to Mumbai with Arvind when he was 10 years old. Times were difficult as the family had to move from one place to another. But more importantly Cheteshwar got the chance to play competitive matches. He used to play more than 20 games in two months – something that was impossible in Rajkot at that time. Arvind later said that introduction to competitive cricket at an early age had played an immense role in shaping up Cheteshwar’s career.
A triple century that changed it all: In early 2001, a 12-year-old Cheteshwar smashed 306 not out for Saurashtra under-14 against Baroda. It was a knock that showed that this guy could bat a long time and had exemplary powers of concentration, mental strength and ability. “As a young boy this innings gave me the belief that I could make a career out of cricket and become successful,” Cheteshwar said a few years back.
T20 century: Did you know Cheteshwar Pujara has a T20 hundred under his belt. Well it happened in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match earlier this year. Cheteshwar playing for Saurashtra got the 100 against the Railways in only 61 balls with 16 boundaries and a six. The innings proved that he could be successful in the shortest format of the game also. Incidentally Cheteshwar is the only Saurashtra batsman to have a T20 century.
Mother’s demise: Cheteshwar’s mother Reena played a huge role in his development as a cricketer. However, she could not live to see her son shine at the highest level. When Cheteshwar was 17, she passed away from cancer. Incidentally, he made his Test debut exactly five years to the day she passed away.
2nd to Michael Bevan in List A cricket: Cheteshwar’s batting average is second to only Michael Bevan in List A cricket. Michael Bevan tops the list with 57.86, with Cheteshwar in second place at 54.12. List A games are 50-over matches. It just goes to show how wrongly Cheteshwar has been labelled a Test specialist. It should be stated here that Cheteshwar has played more than a 100 List A games… 103 to be precise.
Nine double hundreds: Cheteshwar currently has nine scores of 200 or more. These include international and domestic matches. At one juncture Cheteshwar’s rate of scoring double centuries was second only to Sir Donald Bradman. While Sir Don got a double hundred after every nine innings, Cheteshwar did so after every 15 innings. The rate of conversation, however, has now gone down.
PNN
