With the Indian team currently locked in an intense battle with England in a five-match Test series at home, Cheteshwar Pujara is slogging it out for Saurashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, focused on pushing his domestic side into the knockouts.
It was in June last year that Pujara last turned out in India whites as the team lost to Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final. Pujara was dropped after the contest as India shifted focus on younger, upcoming stars with an eye on the future.
That match was Pujara’s 103rd Test of an illustrious career. He’s 36 now and his style of play stands out as an anomaly in a world enamored by England’s ‘Bazball’.
Despite losing his spot, again, the veteran hasn’t lost hope with his passion for the game burning bright as ever. Why else would would he, in the autumn of his professional career, add both the sweep shots – regular and reverse – to improve his game?
“…this Ranji season, there have been some turners. Like that game against Rajasthan. On a rank turner, you don’t allow the bowler to settle down. And you have to keep reinventing yourself. In the last 18 months to two years, I have developed the regular sweep shot and the reverse sweep. And use them in the matches these days. Else, the bowlers will feel: oh he is going to step down to drive or go back. With these sweeps, my game has become better – more all-round,” Pujara told The Indian Express.
“If you don’t trust your defense, you will have fear of getting out on such pitches. You have to mix all of it together – attack, defense,” he added.
