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After being cut from the Indian Test squad for the West Indies tour, the chubby Cheteshwar Pujara jumped right in and batted in the middle the next day. He handled the cut with grace. Nine minutes of Pujara playing some shots and batting in the field were published to YouTube.
On Day 3 of the ongoing Duleep Trophy semi-final on Friday, July 7, at the KSCA Cricket Ground, Alur, Cheteshwar Pujara shone with the bat for West Zone versus Central Zone. When the rain stopped the game, the right-hander was unbeaten with 132 runs off 266 deliveries, one six and 14 boundaries. In order to get his team from 40/2 to 135/3, the 35-year-old also partnered with Suryakumar Yadav for 95 runs.
The senior hitter had been dropped from India's impending two Test matches in the West Indies days prior to the century. His withdrawal occurred after he underperformed against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, scoring just 14 and 27 runs, respectively.
West Zone now enjoys a commanding lead of 383 runs after Cheteshwar Pujara. After being dropped out of the Test team for the West Indies tour, he never once gave the impression that he was batting to make a point. If you ignore the fact that he hoisted his bat twice to the pavilion, even his celebration after reaching 100 was subdued.
The runs Pujara scored were simply colourful marbles picked up while strolling through the middle, and the boundaries served only to relax his muscles and serve as a reminder to the bowlers of their respective positions in his patiently drawn-out game.
Pujara would thrash Avesh for back-to-back boundaries as if to assert himself. Both square drives struck him on the tips of his toes. The fielders watched the ball race to the fence without moving as they rolled their wrists to keep it on the ground.
Though Pujara only added two more singles during that time, that was the majority of the runs he scored in the first hour.
The lengthy, borderline-neurotic 111-ball staredown he engaged in with Saurabh Kumar was the highlight of the day. Today, the left-arm spinner chose to go a little fuller after being treated to some delicious cut shots by Pujara yesterday. This forced the right-handed batsman to defend continually on his front foot while denying his nemesis any form of breadth or bounce to get cross-batted.
Pujara began by completing three straight Saurabh first-overs. The UP spinner modified his length, pace, and angle, but was ultimately defeated by Pujara's straight bat.
Although his technique is not very impressive, Pujara's bottom-handed style is rare for someone who relies on Test Cricket for a living. Nevertheless, temperament. Pujara is a successful defensive batsman who relishes wearing out attacks before savouring them in an era of counterattacking batsmen.
Pujara played a key role in both of our victories down under. He is a person who puts bowlers through trials to make them weak and exposed. He excels at that. Rarely will you come across a batsman like Pujara. They are nearly extinct now.
The best thing about Cheteshwar Pujara is that he receives criticism from millions of people, including famous cricket stars and experts. But he is unconcerned. He doesn't worry because he is confident in his abilities.
FAQs
Has Cheteshwar Pujara received any awards or accolades for his cricketing achievements?
Cheteshwar Pujara has indeed been recognized with a number of honours and awards for his contributions to Indian cricket. He has multiple times been named Man of the Test Series and has won the Arjuna Award, one of India's most prestigious sporting honours.
How does Cheteshwar Pujara get ready for long innings and Test games?
Pujara is renowned for his demanding workout regimens. In order to succeed in Test cricket, he emphasises mental toughness and endurance, frequently spending hours in the practice nets to hone his skills.
