Mumbai: Marnus Labuschagne wants to “pull off a Pujara”. Josh Hazlewood is “pretty happy “Puj” isn’t playing”. Most of what is being said in the Aussie corner is good old gamesmanship, an indirect message to India that they might miss their immovable batting force over the past three tours Down Under.
Cheteshwar Pujara is not all that fussed about it. He will “miss” not being picked but does not want his replacements to bat like he did. “Test cricket is moving, with the amount of white-ball cricket people play,” he said in the “Star Sports press room” ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“I don’t think there is a need to slow down the pace of batting in Test cricket. The players today are playing to their strengths,” he said. “My batting was based on the cricket that I learned where patience and temperament were quite important. You can’t advice today’s player to play like me or any other player.”
An admission from the last of his tribe who could bat time that the game’s texture has changed so dramatically that perhaps, batters can’t slow down anymore. What they must do, said Pujara, is pick their scoring shots.
Pujara’s No. 3 spot has been taken by Shubman Gill. A natural stroke player with a propensity for horizontal bat shots, the upcoming five-Test series could prove transformative, if he figures out the what-nots. “Shubman has played in Australia before. He should play his own game. He just needs to know which shots to play and which to avoid. In Australia, you can’t play some of the shots that you play in India. He will have to identify those,” Pujara said.
Delving further into shot selection, Pujara identified not getting sucked into playing the hook as one advice to the compulsive pullers in the India batting order. “As a batter, you need to know if you are a good puller. If you are, you take the bowlers on. But when we end up playing the hook shot, we don’t play it in India, where most of it (bouncers) is under the shoulder level. Most of our batters are aggressive players and they play the pull, but you need to be in control. You can’t have a set goal…if the first ball is a bouncer, I will play the pull shot.”
The other key battle to win is the one in the mind. That Pujara did helping him blunt the Australian attack for 1258 balls in the 2018 tour and 928 balls in 2020-21.
“You have to have belief and no fear. The fear of taking blows on the body has to be taken off. You focus on each ball. The concentration level has to be high. The awareness of which ball to leave matters. Perth will have pace and bounce. You need to leave the ball which you would otherwise play.”
The enduring image of Pujara from India’s last two tours of Australia has been grimly defending his wicket, unfazed by hits to the body, whites soiled by a long time in the middle. A maroon full-sleeved shirt showed how far he was away from all that on Thursday.
Middle-order for Rahul
With Gill set to miss the first Test because of an injured left thumb, Devdutt Padikkal is likely to bat No. 3 and KL Rahul open. Pujara isn’t sure if it’s the right move.
“Lately, KL Rahul has been batting in the middle order. If KL gets going, he can see the new ball through, but I have seen over a period of time that he is more comfortable batting at No. 5 and 6. But because India needs him to open, he will,” he said.
“We have to accept that Shubman will bat at No. 3. We can’t be making too many changes. But stability is important. Once Rohit is back, we might have to shift KL Rahul back in the middle order. I would prefer that people are given their positions.”
Pujara said Yashasvi Jaiswal will be key to India’s fortunes. “Yashasvi is one of the most talented cricketers India has produced. If we have to win the series, his role will be the most important. He will play the role that David Warner used to play. Obviously, there will be challenges. But he is mentally tough. He prepares really well, hits N no of balls and loves batting. He will have a big role across formats and will be very successful.”
