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There seemed to be an exasperated sigh around The Oval when Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed trying to play the upper cut to Pat Cummins during the World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia.
Fans were almost in disbelief that someone like Pujara tried such a shot, especially when India had just lost their captain Rohit Sharma after a solid start to a crucial chase. As Pujara walked back to the pavilion, there seemed to be a feeling among the crowd that perhaps he had reached the end of his long rope.
This didn't seem to be the same Cheteshwar Pujara, who had taken blows on his body at Sydney and Gabba in 2021, who had tormented the Aussies in 2018-2019, who used to put a price on his wicket and who almost had a PhD in wearing down the opposition bowling attacks.
With the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad being named in the Indian Test squad for the West Indies, it seems like India have made up their mind to start the transition in the Test side beginning by phasing out Cheteshwar Pujara. While some find it a bit surprising, there's a reason why this doesn't come as a shock.
The slide began after the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Over the years, there has been a lot of talk about whether Cheteshwar Pujara needs to bat with a higher tempo. His heroics at Sydney and at the Gabba did silence the talks for some time as many felt that 'this is the way that Pujara plays'. However, the debate began to resurface again during India's 2021 home series against England.
Pujara just scored a solitary half-century in the series and couldn't even maintain a strike rate for 40 in the rest of his knocks. 8(54) and 15(80) in the WTC final 2021 further amplified this debate. The conditions in Southampton were such that quick runs were the need of the hour and that was probably the first time where it raised serious questions about whether India needed a batter who scores quicker at No.3.
India had four more Tests to play in England that Summer and Cheteshwar Pujara could only get two more scores of 50+ in those eight innings. The questions about strike rate were now coupled with the questions about consistency as well and the pressure seemed to be untenable on the veteran right-hander.
The new team management with head coach Rahul Dravid did back Pujara for the home Tests against New Zealand as well as the South Africa tour. However, just a solitary half-century from those five Tests saw Pujara get dropped. Many felt this was a year too late and some even felt Pujara continued to play only because of the 'experience tag'.
The Comeback
Cheteshwar Pujara's comeback was due to a number of factors and while many fans feel it was a wrong decision to go back to him, at the time it seemed a sound choice. India were to play a one-off Test against England in Edgbaston and had their key opener KL Rahul injured. Captain Rohit Sharma also had to miss the Test as he tested positive for COVID-19.
The opportunity came knocking for the opening position and Pujara took it with both hands. The idea was that his County experience will help India in English conditions and it seemed to work as he scored a fine 66 in the second innings when most of the Indian batting seemed to struggle.
This arguably seemed enough for the selectors to back Pujara for the Bangladesh Tests at No.3 as they decided to drop the underperforming Hanuma Vihari. The move worked wonders in the first Test as the veteran right-hander scored 192 runs in the game, including a fantastic second-inning hundred.
There seemed to be the shades of vintage Pujara, who had the ability to grind down the bowling attacks and also occupy the crease for a long time. However, this once again led to the debate about whether the strike rate is no longer a worry for Team India.
The Dip
Cheteshwar Pujara's second coming helped him get another opportunity in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, this time in home conditions earlier this year. Naturally, the debate continued about his place in the team, and that mounted the subsequent pressure on him.
Apart from an incredibly gutsy half-century on a turning track in Indore, Pujara couldn't really make the most of his opportunities. His scores were once again an indication that he seemed to be just doing enough to not get the axe from the selectors.
In the context of whatever happened over the past 24 months with Cheteshwar Pujara, the horrific leave in the first innings and the uncharacteristic uppercut in the second essay of the WTC final seemed to give a picture of what was about to happen ahead of the West Indies tour. It seemed inevitable.
Is Cheteshwar Pujara being made a scapegoat?
India's batting failure in the WTC final 2023 pointed toward the kind of pitches that were being made back in India for the home series. Some cricket experts also spoke about how the turning tracks aren't giving the batters the confidence they need to bat for long periods of time as they are forced to play shots.
This argument seems true to an extent and also could have directly affected the way Cheteshwar Pujara plays as he likes to spend time at the crease. However, the poor judgment he showed in the WTC final coupled with the inconsistency even on good batting pitches is what seems to have made India drop him from the squad.
Whether Cheteshwar Pujara is able to make another comeback for India is something only time will tell. However, the magnitude of his success as a No.3 batter in his prime has ensured that the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad have big boots to fill.
