In defence of Cheteshwar Pujara's slow batting

Give him time, says Harsha Bhogle

 

New Delhi: Apart from Ravichandran Ashwin’s 18th 5-for and KL Rahul’s record-breaking century in the second Test against West Indies in Kingston, it is Cheteshwar Pujara who is being discussed a lot by experts and Team India fans. But not for a good reason.

Pujara consumed 159 deliveries to score 46 runs before he got run out in India’s first innings on Day 2. His low strike rate has been a hot topic of discussion, both among cricket experts as well as fans on social media.

India’s most famous commentator Harsha Bhogle, who is not in the commentary team for the India-West Indies series, has come out in defence of Pujara saying the top-order batsman from Saurashtra should be given time since he doesn’t play the other formats of the game. 

 Writing on his Facebook page, Bhogle pointed out that Pujara playing a so many balls is a proof that he is good enough to represent India in Tests.

“I think it is important to understand the situation that Cheteshwar Pujara is in before coming down hard on him,” Bhogle said. 

“Unlike the others, he faces lengthy breaks from top quality cricket because he doesn't play limited-overs cricket. And so, the bowling he faces, the attitudes he encounters, the people he is with.....are all far removed from the standard of international cricket. And so he will take time to come to grips with playing with the best all over again. 

“He needs to be given time for the other way of looking at his effort is that he is good enough to be batting so many balls and so the runs will come as the confidence returns.

“If he was getting out in single digits, there was a case for, maybe, playing Vijay and Dhawan as openers and Rahul at no 3. But he is batting long enough and needs backing. 

“I am sure the team management is doing that because if a player feels every innings is his last, he does more damage to himself than a bowler can!” Bhogle concluded.