In Stats: Never Forget The Magic of Cheteshwar Pujara
India have a 446 run lead over Sri Lanka at the end of Day 2.
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Brief Scores
India 1st innings: 600 all out in 133 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 190, Cheteshwar Pujara 153; Nuwan Pradeep 6/132, Lahiru Kumara 3/131)
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 154 for five in 44 overs.(Upul Tharanga 64, Angelo Mathews batting 54; Mohammed Shami 2/30)
India are in a commanding position in the first Test of their ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. After opting to bat, India powered their way to a record opening day total of 399-3 riding on the back of Shikhar Dhawan’s entertaining 190. On day two, the visitors further strengthened their grip on the Test match, as they finished with a first innings total of 600, and then reduced the hosts to 154/5 by the time stumps were drawn.
On overseas tours, players have to counter several challenges; the climatic conditions are different, playing surfaces are different, players get a first sighter of the opposition, etc. Hence touring sides generally appear rusty particularly in the first Test of a series.
However, that wasn’t the case with the Indian team at Galle, as almost every batsman who walked out to bat appeared to be at ease, and as a result, Team India pulverized the home side bowlers and piled on a formidable first innings total. By the time Hardik Pandya was last man out – after scoring a half-century on Test debut, India had a total of 600 runs; it was only the second time in India’s Test history that they had breached the 600-run mark in the opening match of an away rubber.
Chances are, many years later, this Galle Test will always be remembered for Shikhar Dhawan’s swashbuckling innings. However, there was one more very important contribution in the Indian innings – from Cheteshwar Pujara, who made 144 on Day I, and extended his score of 153 on Day II before he edged one to the wicket-keeper. Despite being an integral component of the Indian Test team, it is unfortunate that he doesn’t get as much adulation and his knocks don’t catch the limelight often enough; it is Pujara’s personality that he remains understated, keeps his focus solely on the job on hand, and keeps operating like a machine.
Invigorated Pujara
There was very little criticism from experts and from the cricket media when Pujara was dropped from the Test team during the tour of West Indies last year. The lad from Rajkot made a comeback later in the same series, and he has turned into a run-machine since.
In the 15 Tests India have played since Pujara’s return to the Test team, guess who is India’s highest run-getter in Test cricket? Not Virat Kohli. Not Ajinjya Rahane. Not KL Rahul. None of the glamour boys, but Cheteshwar Pujara! In fact, in the period from 18 August 2016 – when Pujara was recalled to the Test XI – until now, Pujara is the highest run-getter in Test cricket.
The one thing that has been held against Pujara in the past is that he still plays Test cricket the conventional way. Block, block, block. Grind the opposition, etc. But one needs to give him credit for what he does. Batting for long periods of time is an extremely difficult job; it is demanding physically and mentally. It is unfortunate that this trait – of batting long periods of time and building an innings – which was considered an essential skill in the days gone by, is not being appreciated any more. Pujara deserves a lot of credit for keeping the aesthetics of Test cricket alive, while also attempting to imbibe the modern-day methods into his game.
His innings on Wednesday was one of his more fluent innings; there was intent, he used his feet well against the spinners and looked for scoring opportunities. And the solidity was there as ever. Off the 265 balls he consumed, the ball beat Pujara’s bat only thrice, and found the edge on only 12 occasions; in percentage terms, Pujara was in control of his innings to the extent of 94.3%.
Though he has been pigeonholed as a Test specialist, it is time Pujara gets the recognition; he is one of the pillars of the current Indian Test team.
Rare Fifer by Sri Lankan Quicks at Home
Given how mediocre the majority of the Sri Lankan attack was, India were restricted to a total of 600 – thanks only to a splendid spell of fast bowling by Nuwan Pradeep. The 30-year old, who accounted for the Indian top four – Dhawan, Mukund, Pujara & Kohli, eventually finished with impressive figures of 6-132 – his best figures in first-class cricket.
Returns such as Pradeep’s 6-wicket haul are rare occurrences in the context of Sri Lankan cricket. The last time before Pradeep’s effort at Galle that a Sri Lankan pacer took a 5-fer in a home Test was in 2010. You read that right; it was in 2010 when Lasith Malinga claimed 5-50 against India at Galle.
Message to Sri Lankan cricket fans: celebrate Nuwan Pradeep’s performance.
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