Cheteshwar Pujara, the long-time No.3 of Indian cricket in Tests, brought the curtain down on a glorious career on Sunday as he announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. The 37-year-old represented India in 103 Tests and 5 ODIs, scoring more than 7000 runs across the two formats of the game. The right-handed batter scored 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries for India. Not many remember, but Pujara also played 5 ODIs for India, making his debut in the 50-over format in 2013 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
A certified Test great was never able to make it in the 50-over format, and this might be one of Pujara’s major regrets in terms of never making it as an ODI player. Ever since his international debut in 2010, Pujara has always been looked at as a Test specialist. However, it did not help his case that the batter was unable to grasp his chance in ODIs when he got the chance. He eventually ended his career with just 51 runs in five matches for India.
The biggest ability of Pujara has always been to display grit, patience and willingness to occupy the crease for long hours. Not once did he give away his wicket cheaply, and the bowlers had to always toil hard to dislodge him from the wicket. These qualities are the main reason why there were constant comparisons between Pujara and Rahul Dravid.
In sharp contrast to his Test achievements, Pujara has nothing to boast about in his white-ball career. While he played 5 ODIs for the country, he never earned a T20I call-up. The main reason behind his virtually non-existent white-ball career has to be a mix of his batting style, team balance and the evolution of slam-bang cricket.
Also Read: Cheteshwar Pujara, Rahul Dravid’s true heir, carried India’s No.3 legacy with stats, records
Pujara’s technique and defensive gameplay
Pujara’s biggest strength was his classical technique and the ability to display patience to wear out the bowlers. This knack might have come more than handy in Tests. However, this was the biggest drawback when it came to Pujara to make it big as a white-ball cricketer. The ODI and T20I game is synonymous with quick scoring rates; hence, Pujara always had his back against the wall.
The right-hander, 37, often found it tough to increase the scoring rate when the fielders were out in the deep. This was also highlighted in Tests whenever India were trying to force the innings.
The T20 game requires another whole new level of explosiveness, hence it is the main aspect behind Pujara not making it big as a T20 cricketer. He also didn’t get enough chances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), often going unsold. In his entire IPL career, he played just 30 matches, scoring 390 runs at a strike rate of 99.74, as he represented Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Chennai Super Kings.
Competition for spots in white-ball cricket
India has always been spoilt for choice in white-ball formats. When Pujara started off, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, and Yusuf Pathan were all vying for a spot, making it extremely difficult for Pujara to get a consistent run.
All the above-mentioned players had better gameplay in ODIs and T20Is as they could force the pace at will, a skill which Pujara clearly lacked. With such high competition, the selectors always leaned towards batters who could score faster and take the bull by its horns.
It is also important to state that while Pujara has been a legend for Saurashtra in red-ball competitions and List-A, his T20 record is modest to say the least.
Pujara played 130 List-A games, scoring 5759 runs at an average of 57.01. On the other hand, he played 71 T20, scoring 1556 runs at a strike rate of 112.18 and an average of 29.35. However, not many would know that Pujara was the first Saurashtra player to hit a T20 century.
The tag of Test specialist
Ever since his debut, Pujara has been tagged as a Test specialist, and this reputation stuck. This was also another reason the selectors did not experiment enough and give him a chance, especially in the ODIs. This tag kept on getting stronger, and once Pujara wore out opposition bowlers overseas, it was always going to be hard for him to shed the title.
However, Pujara’s inability to make it big as a white-ball cricketer should not be a deterrent to having specialists in Tests. His unmatched contributions in Tests surely shaped him into one of India’s greatest ever. His career is a sharp reminder that it should always be a case of excellence and that there can be a place for Test specialists, just grinding it out and doing what they love the most, making their team win against all odds and conditions.
