The current edition of the Border-Gavaskar trophy has associated
adjectives like lively, newsy and enthralling more comfortably than its
preceding one. For academic purposes the tussle has been settled before the
final round and yet there is keenness in the build-up to the Sydney test. Two
tests have gone down to the last session, there are physically spent bowlers
with 100+ overs in 6 innings and skippers at either end have led respective
batting units with vigilant, consistent knocks. Sparks have flown, tense
confrontations have occupied match day reviews but on-field performances have
managed to adhere onto memory chords, in the manner they should. Quietly certain
players with under-performing report cards have slipped under the radar amid
the noticeable concoction surrounding them.
Surprisingly a certain Cheteshwar Pujara features among
those who haven’t lived up to their repute. He is fidgety at the crease, slightly
unsure about his off-stump, the ball is striking the bat ill-timely, the foot
work is not decisive and the off-spinner is giving him a lot of home-work! It
is not an unfamiliar sight, his struggles in New Zealand and England after a
big hundred South Africa perturbed his promising potential as much as his lack
of form hurt the team. The slump intrigues even more, given the success of
Vijay, Virat and Rahane on away soil during the same phase.
Numbers don’t describe the picture entirely, but tend to
highlight key nodes of a career chart. Likewise, a batting average of 24.15 in
2014 from 10 tests after high yielding 2012 (81.75) & 2013 (75.36)
emphasizes the significant drop in form. 22 innings have elapsed since the last
3-figure knock, the gap in the home and away averages has widened and with
31.81% his frequency of getting dismissed to spin bowlers is rising.
Good players tend to raise their game against tougher
opposition in its backyard. Some emerge with good success immediately; others struggle
to meet the modified standards. Either way it toughens you as a player but lack
of desired output can sometimes lead to self-doubting. Virat Kohli is a recent
example who experienced a sudden blip of touch in England and needed to take
some time off for resuming his purple patch. Those who have worked with Pujara
vouch for his desire to work hard on the shortcomings to improve his technique
and it would be safe to assume about him being passionate during practice
sessions more now than he would have been previously.
Being format-specialist in cricket can be good if you are playing
long tours often, but can hamper if you seek in-the-middle practice in pursuit
of redeeming lost form. In most probability this could be India’s last test series
for quite some while. Pujara has an uncertain IPL contract and his fallback
option for mainstream recognition remains scoring in heaps for his state side in
the Ranji trophy; something he wouldn’t mind doing. The numerous trending
topics during the 3 tests thus far have misaligned the focus on Pujara’s
struggle for runs. Time can slip quickly for Pujara though, and soon his
position in the eleven could be questioned if his form (or the lack of it)
continues.
You tend to give a longer rope to quality players and Pujara deserves time to find his missing mojo. The square at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) has witnessed many
fabled hundreds off Indian middle order batsmen. The stadium is one of the few
which have undergone an overhaul for the upcoming world cup. India will play there for the first time since that renovation and would probably
be the right venue for likes of Pujara to renew batting touch and carry forward
the legacy of Indian batsmen on this hallowed turf!
Comments
Post a Comment