After Cheteshwar Pujara retired from all forms of cricket, former player Ravichandran Ashwin described his batting as a “symphony” in a touching ode to the batsman.
After a career spanning over ten years, Pujara announced his retirement on Sunday. Using his ‘X’ account, the 37-year-old batter shared the post.
On October 9, 2010, Pujara made his India debut in Bengaluru against Australia. The latter scored 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 in 103 Test matches. With a highest score of 206*, Pujara amassed 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries during his international career. In five ODIs, he also scored 51 runs.
Ashwin claimed on his YouTube channel that Pujara’s position at number three was very helpful since he was a player who would block and blunt a new ball and wear out the bowlers.
“Pujara’s contribution at No.3, if you agree or don’t, was instrumental in helping Virat Kohli also make a lot of his runs,” he said.
Ashwin highlighted Pujara’s contribution to India’s victory over South Africa in the 2018 third Test match played in Johannesburg on a hard track, where his 179-ball 50 aided then-captain Virat score 106-ball 54 to take India to 187. Pujara took 53 balls to register his first run during his knock. A Jasprit Bumrah fifer in response gave Proteas a lead of just 7 runs.
Mohammed Shami took a fifer as India skittled the Proteas for 177 runs while defending 241 runs, despite Pujara being bowled for one in the second innings, when India scored 247 runs.
“Pujara’s contribution at No.3, if you agree or do not, was instrumental in helping Virat Kohli also make a lot of his runs, and I have one such case as an example. In the final Test against South Africa at the Wanderers, where the pitch was deemed too dangerous at one stage, Pujara played 53 balls before he got off the mark. A thankless job a really, really, spiteful Wanderers pitch, the ball was going all over the place,” Ashwin said.
“Pujara is one such guy, when he bats it looks like a symphony. You may see reels on Instagram, edits like Virat’s cover drive, Rohit Sharma’s pull shot, MS Dhoni’s Helicopter Shot, but Pujara’s defence, even that has to be featured with music and all that. He is a Test legend, absolute massive legend of Indian cricket, his contribution is no less than anyone else. I would put my head on the block, his contribution is not less than anyone else, whether it be Virat, or Rohit, or anybody,” Ashwin added.
India’s victories in Australia in 2018 and 2020 for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy are what Pujara is most known for. His technique and strong defense caused problems for Australia.
In four games, the Indian red ball mainstay amassed 521 runs at an average of 74.42, three hundreds, and a fifty. 193 was his highest score.
He amassed 271 runs from four games in the 2020–21 series at an average of 33.87, with three fifties and a high score of 77. He suffered multiple body blows from Australian pacers during the last Test match at The Gabba, which added to the significance of the victory.
With more than 21,301 runs from 278 first-class matches, Pujara was a domestic legend apart from international cricket. Throughout his first-class career, he smashed 66 tons and 81 half-centuries.
