PUJARA: THE SUITABLE BOY
In Troubled Times,A Steady Bat At The Top Might Be Indias Answer
Mumbai:
In todays mad world of six-hitting cricket,where strike-rates determine
the value of a batsman in the shorter formats,somebody like Cheteshwar
Pujara doesnt easily fit in.That is,unless of course,your team is in
deep trouble,unable to last the stipulated 50 overs,and is desperately
seeking someone to hold ground at the other end.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
In
the last two years,Indias batting in ODIs a format in which theyre
currently world champions has mostly revolved around domineering
individual displays,be it Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwags
double-hundreds,Virat Kohlis run-glut in Sri Lanka,or MS Dhonis feverish
down-the-order attempts to revive an innings gone wrong.Barring a
Yuvraj Singh or a Suresh Raina coming good on odd occasions,the teams
fortunes have suffered immensely for lack of that one dependable anchor
in the middle-order,someone who is not enamoured by the six-hitting
trend.
To stand there till the job is accomplished,and to do it
consistently,takes a lot more than just good technique or
perseverance.Rahul Dravid used to do it and that is one of the key
reasons for Indias rise in the 50-over format.It may not be a
coincidence that Dravid retired from from One-dayers two years ago.
Pujara
promises a similar ability to absorb the shocks.Like Dravid,he loves to
play within his limitations,has technique to adjust to all formats and
can even strike well on both sides of the wicket.On Wednesday,for
example,in his unbeaten 261,he played the sweep,the lofted drives and
even the reverse sweep with lan.
He has been included in the One-day
team at the cost of Indias most feared top-order batsman Virender
Sehwag.But an antidote to the Sehwag-like blitzkrieg that fans usually
enjoy is perhaps what India badly at the moment.
Hes the sort of
batsman who normally has a Plan B in place, says former batsman Aakash
Chopra,who spent good time with Pujara at the Kolkata Knight Riders.Hes
like the driver wholl quickly move to first gear and go
further.Depending on the situation he can be aggressive too.You look at
Virat or Raina or Dhawan,theyll start in Gear Three and stay there, he
explains.
Pujara may not be the kind of batsman wholl help the team
chase 350.But if youre batting in dire conditions chasing a tricky 240
or 260,he can be Indias go-to man.Unless its the subcontinent where
placid pitches rule,350-odd scores are a dream in most overseas
conditions and that is precisely where a batsmans ability to construct
an innings comes into play.
Batsmen who are high on technique dont
normally attract eyeballs in the shorter formats,which is a very wrong
way of looking at things.But they are needed in shorter formats
too,especially in tough conditions or against top bowling sides, says
Chopra.
Right now,in a line-up that boasts of batsmen who can
single-handedly change the course of play with sheer aggression,theres
plenty of space for a Pujara to lend that bit of sanity.
The losses
against Pakistan in the recent ODI series were largely a result of
Indias failure with the bat.For a Dhoni or a Yuvraj to come and
wallop,they need one man to hang around at the other end,stemming the
fall of wickets.
Now that Pujara is in,it will be important for Dhoni
to ensure he gets to bat within the top four.Either ahead of Virat
Kohli,or just after him.And the think-tank will have to remain patient
with Pujara till he settles down.Once he does,the solidity that his
batting can lend is bound to change Indias prospects in the 50-over
format.
MEN WHO MATTER
Virat Kohli The Aggressor
His verbal
barrages have often left him embarrassed.But theyve also shown an
aggressive side to him that India need to nurture.The recent low-scores
notwithstanding,he remains a good batting asset.To allow him to persist
at No.3 or 4,depending on how Pujara fits in,is what India need to do
for a prolonged period.He needs to be given the freedom to bat the way
he enjoys for the team to derive the best out of him.
MS Dhoni The Anchor
His unbeaten
89-ball 54 at Eden,against Pakistan,was perhaps the only refreshing
element in Indias batting in that match.The rest of the top-order
collectively crumbled for a mere 75 runs.Post that Eden loss,many felt
that Dhoni shouldve come out to bat higher up the order.The skipper,who
averages a neat 52.29 in ODIs,batting at No.5 or below,has his task cut
out.To play the role of an anchor,who can also score briskly,is what
Indian top-order needs right now.
THE NEW MAN IN: Cheteshwar Pujara
