Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Dark clouds delayed the start to the JP Atray game at Chandigarh and that meant Cheteshwar Pujaras idle mind was playing tricks. The night before he had got calls from well-wishers telling him that he was likely to make it to the Test squad and the television in his hotel room had seconded the opinion. Pujara though,didnt lose sleep over it. When one is so used to perpetually stationed outside the Team India dressing room,anxiety on eve of selection day is a known devil.
But while sitting in the dressing room on Sunday,Pujara suddenly found himself not just waiting for the game to start but also for the announcement for the Test squad. The tonnage of runs scored for India A and his Corporate Trophy heroics had given him a confidence boost and for once he dared to dream that he deserved a place in the Test team.
Soon the clouds were to clear,not just over the DAV school ground but also over the domestic cricketers most prolific scorer. After scoring 4000 plus first class runs,an average of 60 and several big three-digit scores,Pujara had got the big ticket. He replaced Yuvraj Singh to be one of Indian cricket fabled middle order.
Of late I have been very pleased with my batting. I had a decent Indian Premier League,I did well for India A and in the final of the Corporate Trophy I played a very important knock, says the 22-year-old who is in a habit of getting embarrassed when speaking about his achievements. People regularly call me and say that I will be there in the national team. But I never let these things bother me.
Interestingly,Pujara didnt get the Test break on back of the three triple tons he scored in 2008 but it was only when he started scoring heavily in the shorter version of the game that he got the Test call. It was only after the marathoner started sprinting that he reached his cherished destination.
Over the years there has been a subtle change in his approach towards batting. Very often the selectors while giving Pujara the snub had spoken about his slow batting approach. In times of slam-bang cricket,the youngster who came with glue pots at the crease wasnt appealing. Pujara,despite consistently scoring in domestic cricket,learned to step on the pedal. I increased my scoring areas and have learnt how to deal with power plays, he says. Not just that his mindset too changed.
This is evident from the change in his reading habit. Earlier,I used to read a lot of self-help books but I realised that my mind was burdened by them. These days I read paperbacks and that way I am relaxed, he says. For father and long-time coach Arvind,it was a special day. My son learnt patience from my late wife. And thats why he can play long innings and was not disheartened when he wasnt getting the break, he says.
