It is interesting that the rise of Cheteshwar Pujara coincided with the fall of Rahul Dravid. Back in the 2010s, Team India Was ready for some big ticket exits. Sachin Tendulkar It was here to stay, but names like Dravid and VVS Laxman were facing pressure not because of their inconsistent runs, but because of the pressure created by the next generation of Test match batsmen – Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and of course Pujara.
It is in this backdrop, the 22-year-old made his debut against Australia in Bangalore and scored a blistering 72 off just 89 balls. Along with Master, he helped India chase down a difficult target of 207 and helped India finish the series 2–0. But it was not Pujara who would showcase the decade to come. In fact, this knock was aberration. It was his ability to flank and bludgeon the opposition with the waiting game that initially brought him fame.
Hence, when he scored his maiden century against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 2012, it was no surprise to the fans and the media. In addition, he also lived up to the Dravidian stereotype when he toured the England team with a double century (206) at Ahmedabad.
Dravid was nowhere to be seen, but who cared as long as India had Pujara in the middle.
As the years passed, he became more and more intense. Touring South Africa for the first time in 2013-14, the easy-going Gujarati came out on fire. After Kohli’s century, he scored 153 in a thrilling Test match in Johannesburg and grabbed all the headlines. However, his form would drop in the next year.
Windy New Zealand proved too volatile for this serious cricketer. Scores of 23, 19, 17, 38 didn’t help his confidence. In such a situation, he boarded the plane to go to England. As expected, disaster followed. And he soon became the scapegoat for a disastrous Test series where India were on top after two matches. He managed just one half-century-55 at Nottingham.
This period would be his first silent period in international cricket and probably the most difficult. His bat was coming at an angle and he was hitting the seam balls straight. It was that simple and that over and over again. Nonetheless, the darkest hour helped him grow for his second coming. Pujara 2.0 was ready to roll!
A year later, in Sri Lanka, he brought out a reinvented self, playing the great Rangana Herath off the back-foot with spectacular efficiency. Apart from this, he also opened in the third Test match and scored valuable 145 runs with his bat. India won the match and the series, giving birth to the then brand new Indian Test captain, King Kohli.
From 2018 onwards, Pujara had established himself as one of the senior cricketers of the team. His hundreds in Australia (Adelaide, Melbourne), England (Nottingham) made him the undisputed number three. He returned to Australia in 2020 and played the innings of a lifetime in Sydney, an innings that people will never forget. On the last day, Pujara hit one after the other with Hanuma Vihari. It was this performance alone that forced Kasi Vishwanath, the CEO of Chennai Super Kings, to buy him for Rs 50 lakh. The moment Pujara was sold, the entire auction table burst into applause (for the first time!).
But then cricket is a cruel game. The following year, India lost the three-match Test series in South Africa and Pujara, Rahane found themselves in the same position as Laxman and Dravid! Deja vu
Both were taken down immediately. But here this player of Saurashtra defeated Rahane. While the Mumbaikar played IPL, Pujara flew to England and played county cricket. He scored 614! He is back in Team India very soon, Rahane is still waiting.
As of now, Pujara is the undisputed middle-order stalwart, standing on the cusp of his hundredth Test match. despite being dwarfed by the likes of Virat Kohli And the popularity of Rishabh Pant, Pujara has created his own cult following among old and middle-aged men. The youngsters, meanwhile, are in awe of his ability to endure pain and crush the opposition with everlasting composure.
When he walks out to bat against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, it will be Pujara 3.0 that will be on display.
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