The No. 3 slot in a batting order is extremely crucial. It demands the gift of stability, especially in case of early dismissal of one or both the openers. It needs to provide incremental growth if the top two set a fine base. The incumbent must also possess an air of serenity.
These templates found an exemplary practitioner in Rahul Dravid and his is the benchmark that Cheteshwar Pujara is aspiring to reach. The weather-beaten boots that Pujara has stepped into had been occupied by two 100-Test-club men for over three decades — Dravid from 1996 to 2012 and Dilip Vengsarkar from 1976 to 1992. Pujara has the credentials to live up to that weighty legacy.
With 50 Tests yielding 4,099 runs at an average of 52.23, and 13 centuries inclusive of a hundred in South Africa and three in Sri Lanka, Pujara’s journey from being a good batsman to becoming a great is very much a work in progress. The signs, though, are heartening.
Just like Dravid, Pujara too went through a testing phase when his strike-rate came under scrutiny. At least, for Dravid, the question was specific to his initial one-dayers, but startlingly, for Pujara, the query was linked to his forays at the Test crease! He even briefly lost his spot in the playing eleven under Virat Kohli’s watch but forged his way back with fortitude and big runs scored at a brisk pace.
Productive phase
In the recent two Tests at Galle and in the Sinhalese Sports Club here, Pujara scored 153, 15 and 133. These knocks are part of a productive phase stretching to last year. In his last 10 Test innings, he has amassed 706 runs, averaging 70.6 and includes a 202 against Australia at Ranchi.
His berth in the longest format seems set in stone unlike his stint with limited-over cricket where he has just five ODIs under his belt, with the label of a Test-specialist being a strong adhesive which he cannot shed.
Ahead of the second Test, Pujara did mention about wanting to play in all formats and the need to show more (aggressive) intent in his batting. He may be drawn towards wearing the blue shade but his value is more crucial in Test whites. It is a position that he has worked hard to secure and retain.
If earlier, Ajinkya Rahane — thanks to a prolific run overseas — edged out the talented Rohit Sharma in the battle for middle-order slots, Pujara has now managed to stay ahead of the Mumbaikar, the latter coming into contention only when the team opts for a six-batsmen combination.
Vitally, Pujara has, at last, found the needed backing from Kohli and the skipper recently said: “Pujara and Ajinkya are our two best Test batsmen, especially in the middle order. They have been doing so well consistently. Pujara, I would give more credit because he only plays one format and to have that hunger and passion day-in [and] day-out, and to come out and have those consistent performances, takes a lot of mental strength.
Massive evolution
“He obviously has the game and knows how to score runs. He has evolved massively as a batter and his game has gone to another level. If you see from the last season and continuing now, he has got about 1,500 runs which is outstanding. Credit goes to how hard he works on the game. He scores runs in all conditions and that, for us, is most important.”
Like his idol Dravid, Pujara has revealed a safe pair of hands in the close-in cordon.
He needs to be more athletic in the outfield as his winnowing steps demand more strides per 100 metres. His batting is getting well-rounded but there is one area where he has to improve — running between the wickets. A run out, his or the partner’s, always looks a possibility, and he needs to rule that out. It is a minor blemish in a canvas that he has painted exquisitely.
