Cheteshwar Pujara - The prayerful playmaker

Even when he talks, there is no excessive excitement or playing to the 
gallery. That is Cheteshwar Pujara for you. His quietly constructed 206 not out in the first Test against England was celebrated with a small jig and a raised bat. That sums up India's new no. 3 in Test cricket.

Six Test matches old, Pujara is no surprise pick for the one down spot in Tests after the retirement of Rahul Dravid. His father, Arvind, a first class cricketer and his coach, credits his balanced ways to his mother, Rina, who died of cancer in 2005. Chintu, as he is popularly known, was 17 then; he made his first class debut for Saurashtra a few months later.

Patient and persevering, Cheteshwar Pujara can be a Wall in the making

“I may have taught him his cricket, but my wife really taught him about life,” said Arvind from Rajkot, Gujarat. “I remember an incident when he was five and insisted on playing video games. She told him to first spend time doing puja with her. I asked her not to blackmail the child. But she said prayers would stand him in good stead later in life.” Pujara takes time out for his prayers every day and likes reading religious books.
His eight-hour-long innings in the middle at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, was a perfect reflection of his personality. He was involved in two major partnerships—with Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. As Sehwag took the game from England, Pujara did not yield to temptation at the other end. Nor was he overawed. He chose his shots on the ball's merit, merciless on loose deliveries. “He knows his game better than anybody,” said Sehwag. “He is very patient....”

Having made a return to the Test side after being out due to knee injury last year, he was clearly making this chance count. “I never like to get out,” said Pujara. “There is always a price on my wicket. Even after scoring a double hundred I never wanted to give my wicket away. That is why I am able to score big runs.”

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, too, acknowledged Pujara's contributions: “He is very calm and cool. He knows his role. He accepts responsibility... After scoring 200-odd runs, he [fielded] at short-leg. He is among our best fielders in that position. It would have been easy for him to say he was not feeling up to it.”

Arvind says his son internalises his emotions and actions. “If he gets out cheaply... he overcomes his frustration by scoring more runs,” he said. “When he got out at 159 in Hyderabad against New Zealand two months ago he said he will not miss the double ton next time.”

Retired from the Railways, Arvind now runs the house and even ensures that a glass of coconut water is waiting for his son when he returns from a match, just like his mother used to do. And, they keep life simple, despite the glory.

Last year, when Arvind suffered a heart attack, Pujara was at the National Cricket Academy, undergoing rehab after his knee surgery. He rushed to Rajkot to be with his father. “There were just the two of us at home,” said Arvind. “We have somehow managed for the last seven years, but I feel emotional support is necessary. If something happens to me, he will be alone.” Thus, Pujara's engagement to Pooja Pabari.

Experts feel it is too early to declare him Dravid's heir, as the real test will be away matches under seaming conditions. For now though, his start has been appreciated by the Wall himself, with a congratulatory SMS.

(Source)