[Video] Cheteshwar Pujara 206 vs England | 1st Test Ahmedabad 2012

Cheteshwar Pujara 206 vs England | 1st Test Ahmedabad 2012 HD Video Highlights

[Video] Comparison to Rahul Dravid unfair, says Cheteshwar Pujara's father

Stepping into the giant shoes of Rahul Dravid can be daunting mentally. Cheteshwar Pujara was not overwhelmed by the occasion. India's new No. 3 reached the three-figure mark in an innings that bristled with possibilities on an eventful Thursday, the first day of the opening Test against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here. However his father feels that comparing him to Rahul Dravid is unfair.

The Cheteshwar Pujara poem

It was Pujara

The real master 

Just like a wall

We couldn't out Pujara at all

Not at all

You know England couldn't out Pujara at all.

These lyrics would be apt for England's bowlers, who have been left frustrated and clueless by Cheteshwar Pujara's brilliant batting.

(Source)

Gujarat Polls: Keshubhai Patel hopes to repeat the feat of Cheteshwar Pujara

Election-bound Gujarat is bubbling with sporting spirit of different kind. Call it Khel Mahakumbh with a difference. The Gujarat Parivartan Party has got a cricket bat as an election symbol. Party boss and Saurashtra strongman Keshubhai Patel, with bat in hand, hopes to repeat the feat of another Saurashtra-wonder Cheteshwar Pujara.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has skipped cricket for obvious reasons and opted instead for kabaddi. The party's commercial shows two teams: one in saffron T-shirts and the other in blue. The saffron team has a strong captain whereas the opposition is indecisive. There are five players and they all quarrel with one another when called for the toss. The ad hits directly at the infamous infighting in the Gujarat Congress.

What if the game was soccer -- and not kabaddi, one wonders. Probably there would be a lone player in saffron team donning all the hats: a goal keeper, a mid-fielder, a centre half, right winger and so on, reducing a team sport to personal show. There is one more spin to the kabaddi commercial of the BJP.

The way the BJP's drama of dissidence is unfolding at the top, the Congress can use the same kabaddi ad for 2014 elections, just by reversing the T-shirts.

(Source)

Cheteshwar Pujara is a complete Test temperament - Sunil Gavaskar

Cheteshwar Pujara today got a huge compliment from legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who said the young batsman was a complete Test batsman, whose temperament was the hallmark of his batting.

Pujara yet again batted splendidly as he struck an unbeaten 114 to lift India to a respectable 266 for six on day one after being reduced to 119 for five at one stage.

"He's a terrific player. He has shown that he is a complete Test batsman. After the Ahmedabad Test, he has shown his mettle and he'll be able to do it in abroad as well,"

Gavaskar said.

"The way he build up his innings shows that his temperament is terrific ans it is temperament which separates men from boys," Gavaskar said.

Batting at crucial number three position, Pujara had remained unbeaten in the first Test as well as he scored a double hundred and 41 in India's nine-wicket win.

India's top order struggled today on a turning track but Gavaskar said it was a bit worrisome but there was no need to panic.

"If in two Test matches it happens, you start to think what's going wrong. It's not as if they have failed. Look Sehwag is coming into this match with a hundred. It's difficult wicket to bat, there was a lot of spin which is expected in Mumbai.

"When acknowledged batsmen do not get runs, you worry a bit for sure," he said. Gavaskar also backed India's decision to play three spinners despite saying earlier that team will go into the match with a combination of two seamers and two spinners.

"I think they (India) are playing mind games with England. You saw Ishant Sharma marking his run up in the morning which suggested that India will play with two seamers and two spinners. But at the toss you find Harbhajan Singh is playing.

"It's just the kind of wicket Harbhajan needed. With Ashwin and Harbhajan there nobody (England batsman) is going to relax. It will benefit the Indian team," Gavaskar said.

It's after a long time that India are fielding three frontline spinners in the side and Gavaskar said earlier Indian pitches did not have much for the fast bowlers, so spinners came into attack early.

(Source)

'We didn't force Cheteshwar to become a cricketer' - Arvind Pujara

Arvind Pujara, in conversation with Haresh Pandya, discusses the rise of his son, Indian cricket's new star Cheteshwar.

I'm obviously a proud father. But only I know how hard and sincerely my son Cheteshwar, whom we affectionately call Chintu, has strove to reach where he is today.

Doubtless, he had some potential to become a cricketer. But being a first-class cricketer myself, I know very well that mere potential or talent doesn't take you anywhere or far enough.

You've first to sharpen your skills and then form a habit of translating them into sterling performances.

It's a long process, but the fruits are tasty.

Chintu being our only child, my wife Reena and I were particularly careful about his development. It isn't that we forced him to become a cricketer. No!

The fact is I could see genuine talent for cricket in him when he was barely four or five. His stance, his manner of wielding the small bat and his hand-eye coordination pleasantly surprised me.

Also, his balance, his movement of the feet and his use of the toes while flicking or glancing the ball at such a tender age made me feel that if I worked on his batting, he could become a good batsman.

I began to help Chintu practise first with a rubber ball and then with a hard ball at the Railway ground, which was only a few metres from the quarters my employers, the Railways, had provided me, both in the morning and evening.

He was only a kid and I didn't want the ball to bounce above knee height lest it might injure him. So I would bowl underarm at him -- about 50, 60 balls in the morning and another 50, 60 in the evening. He was so keen to bat that he would ask for more.

Seeing us practice regularly, other kids also started joining in. Chintu would play each ball on merit. I used to guide him whenever he played wrongly or made mistakes.

I could see that within a few days Chintu grew in confidence and some of the shots he executed were really incredible.

After a few days I began making him bowl and field as more and more boys joined us. To my surprise, Chintu bowled fastish leg-spin. I found his bowling just about as good as his batting.

Within a couple of years Chintu was emerging as an all-rounder. Being a father, I naturally began to see great cricketing talent in him. But I realised it was a father's opinion, which could be subjective or biased; or both.

So I decided to consult my friend, former India all-rounder Karsan Ghavri. He asked me to meet him in Mumbai along with Chintu. We immediately set off for Mumbai by train.

Ghavri made Chintu bat and bowl at the BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited) ground for nearly three hours.

Impressed, Ghavri told me to concentrate on Chintu's batting and predicted that he would play for India one day. I, too, always felt that Chintu was a better batsman than bowler and Ghavri's word convinced me further.

Batting in front of someone like Ghavri and interacting with him not only made Chintu very happy, but also gave him new found confidence. He began to bat with new vigour, new zeal and would tell the boys at my camp to bowl more and more at him.

I soon realised that Chintu was hardly getting to bat against decent pace bowlers, not just in the camp, but also in his school and other matches. And he wasn't getting to play more matches either.

I strongly feel that match practice is a must for anyone. Chintu was about 10 years old when my wife and I decided to spend his summer and winter vacations in Mumbai for the development of our son's cricket.

It would serve two purposes -- Chintu would get to bat against quality fast bowlers and also have sufficient match practice.

But it wasn't easy. Being a humble government employee, I was always hard-pressed for money even though there were only three members in our family.

We had no other source of income. But we were prepared to sacrifice anything, including my wife's savings, for our son.

Accommodation in Mumbai was a major problem. Initially we stayed in an under-construction building in Rabale in Thane district, where life was full of hardships, particularly for my wife, who had a tough time fetching water and washing clothes.

The best part was that Chintu was getting match practice in Mumbai, though he had to travel a lot, both by bus and train. My wife and I used to accompany him to matches and would watch the action from the boundary.

Karsan Ghavri helped us immensely those days. He helped Chintu turn out for the former Mumbai left-arm spinner Ravi Thakkar's club in Matunga. Why, Thakkar even helped us get accommodation in Mulund (northeast Mumbai)!

Another person who helped us a great deal in Mumbai was Ramesh Kasbekar, an IOC (Indian Oil Corporation) official. He had seen Chintu in my camp when he was posted in Rajkot.

He was very impressed by Chintu's batting and had predicted a bright future for him. I had coached Kasbekar's son in my camp. He, too, helped us with a place to live in at Panvel (a township in Navi Mumbai).

But for timely help by Ghavri, Thakkar and Kasbekar, life would have been miserable for us in Mumbai.

In Mumbai, Chintu used to play about three matches a week and 12 games a month. During our two-month stay in Mumbai he used to play 20-odd matches, which was more than we had bargained for.

After all, in Rajkot he didn't get to play even 20 matches in a whole year!

In Mumbai, where we went for three years, Chintu played the maximum number of his inter-club and inter-camp matches in Dadar (central Mumbai).

Living, travelling and playing in Mumbai toughened Chintu as a cricketer. He learned to adjust himself to situations. Importantly, it added the much-needed competitive edge to his overall cricket.

Playing in Mumbai changed his entire approach to cricket.

All this became apparent when he was selected in the Saurashtra Under-14 team, when he scored back-to-back centuries -- 138 against Mumbai and 306 not out versus Baroda in 2000-01.

In many ways, the 306 not out turned out to be a turning point in his career. Not only did it earn him national headlines for the first time; his progress as a cricketer has been marked since then.

People began to notice him, recognise him and even started predicting a great future for him.

While all that was good and complimentary, I kept telling Chintu during his teenage years to always keep a level head and never allow success and fame to get the better of him.

People often ask me what Chintu would have become if not a cricketer.

Well, the truth is he climbed the cricket ladder at a very early age and now he is so successful in his chosen field, that we've hardly had time to think about another career option for him.

Since he was a brilliant student, I've no hesitation in saying that he would have become a doctor, or an engineer or an executive. He could have excelled in any profession.

Though he doesn't have any time for studies now, he is very keen on completing at least his graduation.

Of course, I've taught him the ABC of cricket. We still discuss his cricket, his technical flaws, his failures, his success and many other things besides whenever we're together; or on the phone when he is away playing or touring.

He has had an inborn talent for cricket and I really can't take much credit for what he is and where he has reached today.

Maybe he was already like a rough diamond and I've polished him a bit.

It's from his mother Reena that Chintu has learned important lessons about life like honesty, sincerity, punctuality, discipline and even spirituality, which have always stood him in good stead as a cricketer.

Like me, she wanted Chintu to become a cricketer. But it was her dream that he play for India and bring laurels to the country.

In fact, she seemed to have more confidence in his ability than probably Chintu himself. I still remember her telling me: "Once he is selected in the Indian team, he will be unstoppable."

But cricket isn't all about technique. It calls for many other qualities too.

Reena wanted to make him a better human being first. She has inculcated certain basic values in Chintu. She was extremely religious and it is from her that Chintu has learned the importance of performing puja and saying daily prayers.

She always told Chintu that puja and prayer make one mentally tough and give peace of mind.

These are vital virtues for a cricketer, though not many possess them. You can see them in Chintu's ability to excel under pressure.

She took utmost care of Chintu and looked after him without ever pampering him. She would ensure that Chintu went to bed early and got up early in the morning. She further ensured that Chintu took his simple, but healthy and nutritious food, and milk on time.

She had made it mandatory for him to drink a glass of coconut juice daily after his cricket practice.

Being almost obsessed about cricket, Chintu himself was never obstinate about anything, not even fancy toys and other luxuries. Playing cricket was everything for him right from his childhood.

There was tremendous attachment between the mother and the son. On his part, Chintu had promised her that one day he would fulfill her dream.

But fate had other ideas. She was diagnosed with cancer and succumbed to the dreaded disease in October 2005 when Chintu was returning after playing a match in Bhavnagar.

Just an hour before her death she had told me we would go to receive Chintu at the bus station. But suddenly she developed acute pain and uneasiness. I was out buying medicine for her when I got the news that she breathed her last.

It was very sad that neither Chintu nor I was by her side when she passed away. You can imagine what a huge shock it must have been for Chintu when he was told about his mother's death.

We were really worried about him, especially when he barely uttered a few words, let alone shed tears, for several days. It was as if his world had collapsed.

Reena's death made Chintu more determined, and if you look at his scores and performances post-2005, you can notice a remarkable degree of consistency in them.

He was so close to his mother and he loved her so much that I was certain he wouldn't rest content till he got the India cap.

He knew it would be his best possible tribute to his mother, the fulfillment of her long-cherished dream.

Though she isn't alive to see where her son has reached today, I am sure she must be blessing him from wherever she is.

If there is any other person Chintu is more attached to after his mother, it is his spiritual guru, Hariprasadji Maharaj from Gondal near Rajkot.

He has known Chintu since he was a baby and his blessings mean so much for my son.

Chintu has recently been engaged to a Rajkot girl, Puja Pabari, who belongs to our Lohana community. Hariprasadji Maharaj has blessed the couple. Chintu and Puja make a nice pair.

After Reena's death I always felt that Chintu needed some emotional support. It is from his mother and his wife that a man gets emotional support.

Moreover, I also have health problems. I underwent open heart surgery last year which lasted six hours. Chintu was with me at the time as he was recuperating from his injury, which resulted in him missing three important Test tours -- to the West Indies, to England and to Australia.

He has suffered serious heart-breaking knee injuries, not only once but twice. Isn't it strange that on both occasions he was fielding? His steely resolve helped him come out successfully from those injuries.

It wasn't easy though. But he religiously followed the instructions of his doctors and exercised regularly.

Never once did I see him disheartened. Even when I was recovering after heart surgery, he had been encouraging me, giving me himmat (courage).

(Source)

Cheteshwar Pujara - Number one at number three

Pujara is showing signs of being able to handle the most critical batting position in Test cricket

Star Cricket did a 2-minute segment featuring young children who had come to watch the first Test between India and England at Ahmedabad earlier this month. At the crease were India’s No. 3 and No. 5 batsmen. When asked who was their favourite among the two, “Virat Kohli” was the unanimous shout. One child, though, yelled, “I like (Cheteshwar) Pujara.”

By the time India’s second innings in the second Test, at Mumbai, came about, that one voice had become a massive din. “Pujara, Pujara” reverberated around Wankhede Stadium as he took guard. In three earlier innings, he had scored 382 runs, getting out once, with the English contingent—players and media—left scratching their heads. Cricket, like any other sport, lends weight to performance and generates expectations. That chant, one not easily attainable from the game’s most fanatical fans, was one of fulfillment.

“I like to bat at No. 3. It is a position where you are most likely to come in when the opposition is bowling with the new ball,” Pujara said after scoring a maiden test double-century in the first Test against England in Ahmedabad. “It is a challenge for me, as for any other batsman. And I put a price on my wicket every time I go out to bat. I don’t like to get out.”

Pujara’s game is built on solid defensive foundations, cemented in his limitations. He doesn’t break the shackles. He wears them out, corroding them with patience and perseverance. At Ahmedabad, he gave England an early chance, a drive that looped up, falling just beyond James Anderson at mid-on. And then there wasn’t a sniff for nine sessions. “It doesn’t take our bowlers three innings to get a batsman out once. He has an astonishing temperament,” exclaimed Graeme Swann, at the receiving end of Pujara’s bat.

In a way this has been the contest of the series, and Pujara’s triumph therein has single-handedly kept India afloat, considering their embarrassing defeat in the second Test. On the dead track at Ahmedabad, Swann conjured all his tricks to keep England in the fight, picking up five wickets. Among the great names that dress up the Indian batting order, only one resisted him. The key for Pujara was to get on to the front-foot early, driving away thereafter with consummate ease.

“Playing Swann was a challenge for me. I hadn’t faced him before, not even in the one practice game (for Mumbai A). But when I played him here (Ahmedabad), I could settle down with confidence after a couple of overs. From there on, it wasn’t much trouble,” he said calmly, yet with a touch of arrogance, perhaps for the first time in his life.

His story isn’t very different from that of many current Indian cricketers. A small-town boy discovers his potential and nurtures it, blessed with a family that believes in him. The road isn’t easy, but he travels it without apprehension, dispatching roadblocks with his stupendously nimble wrists. He overcomes the tragedy of his mother’s death, getting back on to the pitch three days later, hooking life’s bouncer for a six. He then comes to the fore, a diamond whose rough edges have been cut and polished by the wild experience of the domestic circuit.

“My attitude towards batting hasn’t changed from domestic to international cricket,” says Pujara. “But you always learn and adjust yourself, for this is a higher level. And the big difference, I have realized, between the two is that there are no easy run-scoring opportunities. There are very few bad balls to put away. You cannot take anything for granted and consistency is the key to success.”

The curve started off slow, and then spiked and dipped when, after a match-winning half-century (on debut) against Australia (at Bangalore in 2010), he was sidelined owing to a back injury. On his return to international cricket, a full two years hence, it has been a steep rise. Against New Zealand, in the series prior to the ongoing one, he brought up his maiden century at Hyderabad. Skipper M.S. Dhoni warned Kiwis of the unbeaten batsman’s penchant for big hundreds. The next day, he holed out at 159, going for a big shot. Three months later, England searched hard for any such weaknesses to come forth, but in vain. His scores in four innings thus far read 206 not out, 41 not out, 135 and 6.

“He has done exceptionally well against quality spin bowling, perhaps the best he will ever face,” says Rahul Dravid, of his successor at No. 3. “The Ahmedabad wicket was quite flat, but in Mumbai he did well to counter the turn and bounce. It is important to grab opportunities. “Lots of batsmen in domestic cricket are scoring runs and it always keeps you on your toes. Having done exceptionally well will give him a lot of breathing space without the worry of always looking behind your back.”

That Hyderabad Test is an important marker in the annals of Indian cricket. It was the first time India stepped on to the field after the retirements of Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman. The debacle of eight consecutive test defeats to England and Australia was still fresh in memory. Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar did nothing in the New Zealand series to upturn their dip in form. For a young one to come and make the No. 3 spot on his own in just six innings saved Indian cricket from slipping into depression. He may not be a poster boy, but to say that the fans aren’t already in love, would be a fallacy.

There is an obvious tendency to draw comparisons. The New Wall is a much-abused moniker, on the social media and everywhere else possible. The similarities are there to see—in Pujara’s soft-spoken manner, in his lack of charisma and his palpable sense of composure, and in the grinding manner he scores his runs. Even so, a keen pair of eyes will easily spot differences. He leans in when flicking through midwicket off the front foot, Dravid stood taller. The latter drooped a little when cutting to square, while Pujara stands up on the back foot, using more wrist than power.

“Even in the defensive mode, he is a modern-day batsman. He looks to be more positive at the start and then carries it through. It shows that he has grown up in an era of ODIs and T20s, so there is a positive streak even in defence,” says Dravid, the one and only Wall.

“In comparison to how I began, he looks a lot more comfortable at the crease. That has come from a lot more opportunities. He has done a lot of India-A tours, played Under-19 cricket, as also visiting sides. It is a lot more exposure and experience than I ever had before I started playing for India. A lot of places I went to, I went for the first time and had to start afresh. So these young batsmen need to travel all around the world, play different teams at home, and experience ups and downs like any other. If at the end of that three-four-year cycle they are still playing for India, then they have made a good career,” says Dravid.

When India began their second innings at Ahmedabad, Pujara walked out to open with Sehwag. It can be remarked that stepping into Dravid’s shoes would be incomplete without opening in the absence of a regular opener (Gambhir in this case). However, there is a case for not mixing two identities, letting a bud bloom and gain its own stature.

Let us remember this moment then, as the coming of Cheteshwar Pujara.

(Source)

Cheteshwar Pujara within striking distance of a couple of records

Cheteshwar Pujara has had a phenomenal series so far against the Englishmen. It has pushed his career aggregate past 700 and his batting average has shot through the roof. This has placed him within striking distance of a couple of Indian records, writes Arunabha Sengupta. 

One surely hopes that Cheteshwar Pujara’s career traverses along the path traced by the great Sunil Gavaskar 

Cheteshwar Pujara has been the one shining star in the otherwise beleaguered Indian batting line-up. He has amassed 388 runs in four innings in the series, two of which were unbeaten.

Before the first Test at Ahmedabad, he had a tally of 323 runs in five Tests at an average just pushing past 40. The prolific run of 206 not out, 41 not out, and 135 – along with the six runs he managed in the last innings – has pushed his total collection of Test runs to 711 at a staggering average of 71.10. So far he has played just 12 Test innings.

Vinod Kambli took 14 innings to get to 1000 and is slotted at No 5 on the all-time list behind four colossal names – Herbert Sutcliffe, Everton Weekes, Don Bradman and Neil Harvey. Kambli remains the fastest Indian to get there in terms of number of innings.

This sets a target of 289 runs for Pujara in two innings to equal the record. Given the sort of nick he is in, one cannot put it beyond him.

1000 runs in less than 15 innings

Batsman	1000 runs on	Test debut	Duration	Tests	Innings
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	Feb 13, 1925	June 14, 1924	0 year 244 days	9	12
ED Weekes (WI)	Feb 4, 1949	Jan 21, 1948	1 year 14 days	9	12
DG Bradman (Aus)	July 11, 1930	Nov 30,  1928	1 year 223 days	7	13
RN Harvey (Aus)	Dec 1, 1950	Jan 23, 1948	2 year 312 days	10	14
VG Kambli (India)	Nov 18,  1994	Jan 29, 1993	1 year 293 days	12	14

 However, he has a much more realistic chance of becoming the fastest Indian batsman to score 1000 runs in terms of the number of Tests played. While Kambli took 12 matches to get to the milestone, Sunil Gavaskar made it in one less, although the legendary opening batsman crossed 1000 in his 21^st innings.

That gives Pujara four Tests to equal and three to break the record.

It is indeed surprising that Kambli played just five more Tests after arriving at that 1000 run milestone at a super-quick rate. One surely hopes that Pujara’s career traverses along the path traced by Gavaskar in this regard.

Curiously, the next two Indians on the list also lived up to their initial promise in diametrically different ways.Sadagoppan Ramesh finished with 1367 runs in 19 Tests while Rahul Dravid scored 13,288 from 164.

Fastest Indians to 1000 runs in terms of Tests

Batsman	1000 on	Test debut	Duration	Tests	Innings
SM Gavaskar	Jan 25, 1973	March 6, 1971	1year 325 days	11	21
VG Kambli	Nov 18,  1994	Jan 29,  1993	1 year 293 days	12	14
S Ramesh	Feb 27, 2001	Jan 28, 1999	2 year 30 days	13	25
R Dravid	Apr 17,  1997	June 20, 1996	0 year 301days	14	23
SV Manjrekar	Aug 9, 1990	Nov 25, 1987	2 year 257 days	14	23

In terms of duration, Dravid was the fastest among Indians – mainly because of the frequency at which India played Test cricket in 1996 and 1997. He got there in just 301 days. Only 12 other batsmen have got their first 1000 runs in less than a year. This record is beyond Pujara, who made his debut in 2010 and will have already spent two years and 57 days in the Test arena by the time the two teams face off at the Eden Gardens.

Batsmen to 1000 runs in less than a year from debut (Source)

Batsman	1000 runs on	Debut	Duration	Tests	Innings
MEK Hussey (Aus)	Apr 16, 2006	Nov 3, 2005	0 year 164 days	11	19
AJ Strauss (Eng)	Jan 2, 2005	May 20, 2004	0 year 227 days	10	19
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	Feb 13, 1925	Jun 14,  1924	0 year 244 days	9	12
BW Luckhurst (Eng)	Aug 19, 1971	Nov 27,  1970	0 year 265 days	13	25
MJ Slater (Aus)	Mar 17, 1994	Jun 3,  1993	0 year 287days	14	23
KP Pietersen (Eng)	May 11, 2006	Jul 21,  2005	0 year 294 days	12	23
AN Cook (Eng)	Dec 26, 2006	March 1,  2006	0 year 300 days	13	24
R Dravid (India)	Apr 17, 1997	Jun 20, 1996	0 year 301 days	14	23
MA Taylor (Aus)	Dec 8, 1989	Jan 26,  1989	0 year 316 days	10	18
MJ Clarke (Aus)	Sep 8, 2005	Oct 6, 2004	0 year 337 days	17	26
AR Border (Aus)	Dec 14, 1979	Dec 19, 1978	0 year 350 days	13	26
AB de Villiers (SA)	Dec 16, 2005	Dec 17, 2004	0 year 364 days	12	20
AW Greig (Eng)	Jun 7, 1973	June 8,  1972	0 year 364 days	14	24