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
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
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