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Cheteshwar Pujara,
recalled into the Test squad for the New Zealand series, is treating
his comeback as his "second debut". One of the impressive young batsmen
to have come out in the last five years on the domestic circuit, Pujara
was a popular choice to take a place in the Indian middle order once
the top guns walked out of the game. And with two berths opening up
after the retirements of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, Pujara feels he is
"motivated and passionate" while not being fussy about his position in
the batting order.
Pujara, who made a match-winning debut
in Bangalore against Australia in 2010, played just two further Tests
before a knee injury in IPL 2011 sidelined him for six months.
Recovering from the surgery, he missed out on the home series against
West Indies late last year, but was eager to get a ticket for the
Australia tour. However, the selectors did not have enough confidence
since Pujara, who plays for Saurashtra, had not had quality match
practice.
Pujara made just 200 runs during last season's Ranji Trophy, but
stronger performances on the recent India A tour of the West Indies,
where he topped
the run-charts, put him back in the reckoning. "I have been working
hard on making a comeback. It has been delayed because there were not
many games but I did whatever I could in domestic format and with India
A. But I do not want to rush. I'm going to be calm and play my natural
game," Pujara told ESPNcricinfo immediately after being picked for the
Tests.
Making a comeback was never going to be easy. Pujara was hurt by some
pundits questioning his fitness levels. But, working alongside his
father Arvind, his driving force and mentor, Pujara made the finer
adjustments to his batting. "When you come back after a six-month
lay-off it is difficult to straightaway catch the rhythm. You need to
start from the scratch. But once you cross those hurdles then you get
mentally tough," Pujara said. He knew he could not throw away a lifetime
of hard work. "I am fully motivated. This is the moment I have always
worked hard for. There is hunger and passion about playing at the
highest level. It is once again a debut game for me."
Mentally adept and patient, Pujara, who is only 24, has blended those
qualities with his batting skills which have remained sound and fluent
from his age-group cricket days. Though the likes of Virat Kohli and
Ajinkya Rahane have made more headlines in the last year, Pujara has
remained a favourite to take the important No. 3 slot vacated by Dravid.
It was the same position he batted in the nets today in Hyderabad
during the Indian training session, with Kohli at No. 5; the other two
contenders - Rahane and S Badrinath - batted late down the order.
However, Pujara does not want to be picky about his position in the
batting order. "It is a team game so most of the time you have to see
the comfort of the team, not your own. As a batsman I need to be
flexible. I am a youngster who is making a comeback and not someone who
is settled in the batting order so I should not be demanding. Yes, once I
prove myself at a particular position then I can say I would like to
bat at this number."
Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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