Indian cricketer in focus: Cheteshwar Pujara - Understated excellence

It would be an injustice to him to call him a plodder. He takes his time, but he makes it count as well. He picks up the tempo as his innings goes on. In that sense, he is not so dissimilar to a manual car; you don’t go from 1st to 5th, you make a smooth transition. In his last Test series, he was striking at 62.44. The most striking aspect of his batting is that once he gets in, you need a stick of dynamite to get him out. Scratch that, bring along Wile E. Coyote’s entire collection and you might have a chance.

He has been picked for India’s ODI tour of Zimbabwe; and despite the fact that he has not played a single ODI yet, he is expected to be a pillar of both solidity and stolidity in an inexperienced batting line up.

In his own words, ‘I think I have the basics, now it’s just about shifting the gears at the right time, and that comes with more matches at the international level. My technique is correct. Yeah, maybe at times, you need to learn more shots and you need to play according to the situation, but that comes with experience.’ I couldn’t have put it more succinctly myself.

A good series could well see him cementing his place in the ODI side, perhaps he will make the number 4 slot his own. He seems versatile enough, he can rescue the team from a top order collapse, and he is smart enough to rotate the strike in the middle overs. ODI matches are won when one batsman bats through, and that does seem to be his modus operandi.

I could point to his recent List A scores – 158*, 124* and 79 at a strike rate of 107 – as proof of his ability, or offer his 2735 runs at an average of 56.97 as testament to his calibre and pedigree. I won’t. The critics can pick apart at imaginary frailties; the nay-sayers can shake their heads till they fall off. The selectors have faith, and more importantly, he does too.

After all, when opportunity meets preparation, champions are made. And whatever else he is, if we can be certain of one thing, it is this – he is the ultimate opportunist.