It's intriguing that Rahul Dravid's downfall and Cheteshwar Pujara's ascent occurred at the same time. Team India was preparing for some expensive departures in the 2010s. Despite the fact that Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and of course Pujara are the future generation of Test match batsmen, names like Dravid and VVS Laxman were feeling the heat. Sachin Tendulkar was there to stay.
The 22-year-old made his debut against Australia in Bangalore against this background, scoring 72 runs off only 89 balls. Along with the Master, he assisted India in achieving a challenging 207-run objective and winning the series 2-0. However, this was not the Pujara that would be on exhibit during the next ten years. This knock was an anomaly, in actuality. He originally became famous for his ability to fortify himself and neutralize the enemy by playing the waiting game.
Fans and the media were thus unsurprised when he went on to score his maiden century against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 2012. Additionally, when he defeated a visiting England side in Ahmedabad with a double hundred (206) he lived up to the Dravid stereotype.
Who cared if Dravid wasn't there as long as India had Pujara in the mix?
He became increasingly passionate as the years went by. The easygoing Gujarati battled fire with fire when making his debut tour in South Africa in 2013–2014. In a gripping Test match in Johannesburg, he hit 153 after Kohli's century garnered all the attention. But the next year, his performance would deteriorate.
For this committed cricketer, windy New Zealand proved to be too unpredictable. His confidence was hurt by his scores of 23, 19, 17, and 38. In these conditions, he boarded the aircraft bound for England. Disaster ensued, as one could imagine. And once India took the lead after two games in the catastrophic Test series, he quickly became the blame. He had only reached 55 in Nottingham, his only other half-century.
This would be his first and maybe hardest slump in international cricket. He was edging the seaming deliveries right to the cordon with his bat, which was coming in at an angle. It was both simple and common. However, he evolved for a second coming through his worst hour. Pujara 2.0 was prepared to launch.
He reemerged a year later in Sri Lanka, playing the renowned Rangana Herath off the back foot with incredible effectiveness. Furthermore, he even started the third Test match and batted all the way, making 145 significant runs. The series and match were won by India, earning King Kohli—at the time, the new India Test skipper—his reputation.
As of 2018, Pujara has cemented his position as the team's senior cricketer. He was unquestionably ranked third thanks to his centuries in Australia (Adelaide, Melbourne), England (Nottingham), and other places. When he eventually made it back to Australia in 2020, he played an inning in Sydney that will live in infamy. Hanuma Vihari and Pujara both received a beating on the last day. Kasi Viswanath, the CEO of Chennai Superkings, was compelled to acquire him for INR 50 Lakhs purely because of this performance. When Pujara was bought (a first! ), the whole auction table cheered.
However, cricket is a harsh sport. India lost the three-match Test series in South Africa the next year, and Pujara and Rahane were in the same predicament as Laxman and Dravid. Déjà vu.
Both were immediately discarded. But in this case Rahane lost to the guy from Saurashtra. Pujara traveled to England and participated in county cricket while the Mumbai native played in the IPL. In the end, he scored 614 runs! He quickly rejoined Team India, but Rahane is still waiting.
Currently, Pujara is without a doubt the middle-order god, and he is about to play his 100th Test match. Despite being overshadowed by the fame of players like Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, Pujara has developed a cult following among middle-aged and older males. The children like his capacity to endure discomfort as well as his sheer strength in the face of conflict while maintaining unwavering patience.
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Pujara 3.0 will be on show when he steps out to bat against Australia.
