New Delhi: Cheteshwar Pujara’s style of batsmanship is integral to Team India’s success according to Sachin Tendulkar. Critics who haven’t achieved anything close to what Pujara has for India should just take it a bit easy, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has said.
Pujara has often faced the criticism about not showing enough intent to keep the scoreboard ticking. This in spite of his valiant efforts to hold the innings together in most matches.
Tendulkar spoke on this matter and also on a host of issues ahead of India’s World Test Championship final.
“I think we should appreciate what Cheteshwar Pujara has been able to achieve for India. It’s not always going about and maintaining a strike-rate and in Test cricket. You also need different kind of planning and different kind of players to fit into your team,” Tendulkar said.
“It’s like five fingers in your hands. Each finger has a different role and Pujara is an integral part of our team. I really like what Pujara has done for India. Rather than scrutinising his each innings, we should be appreciative of what he has done so far. Guys who are talking about his technique and rotation, they have not played as much top level cricket as Pujara,” the former India skipper added.
Tendulkar pointed out that people’s perspective has changed because of T20 where only one skill – hitting the ball out of park – is appreciated. “They possibly don’t understand. In today’s age of T20, probably if someone can hit the ball, he is regarded as a good player,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.
“(It is) not necessary that person has to be a good Test player. In Test cricket, you need much more than just hitting the ball and trying to play big shots,” added the master blaster.
For those concerned about strike rates in Tests, Tendulkar said that India have a lot of players with attacking instincts.
“For strike-rate, we have players like Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. They can always increase the strike rate. But when it comes to tiring the opposition and where you require planning and vision to execute whatever your strategies are, for that you need a Cheteshwar,” asserted Tendulkar.
Tendulkar also said both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja can be effective in the WTC final. Both should be included even if there isn’t much help off the surface at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
“The possibility, according to me, is to play three fast bowlers and two spinners because both (Ashwin and Jadeja) can bat. Eventually how the team management feels after looking at the wicket matters,” Tendulkar said.
So what if the fourth and fifth day wicket doesn’t offer much help for spinners?
“Shane Warne used to get a number of wickets with the flipper which is a straight ball for leg-spinners and doesn’t require help from surface. Similarly, Muttiah Muralitharan got a lot of wickets with his top spinners which didn’t turn. A straight ball is also a variation,” Tendulkar asserted.
“So it’s not always that an off-spinner has to turn the ball and get the batter out at short leg,” Tendulkar replied when asked if Ashwin could be as effective in case the pitch remains on the flatter side.
“If an off-spinner can bowl a straighter one, the edge would go to the slips or there could be a caught behind. Same thing with left-arm spinners, it doesn’t always have to be pitching on leg-middle and turning away from the right hander,” asserted the man with 100 international tons.
He also had a word of advice for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who are set to open the batting. “Playing close to the body starts with keeping your hands close to the body. When you take a back-lift your hands need to be as close to your body as possible,” Tendulkar stated.
“When your hands are close to your body, you are in better control of defending the ball and playing as late as possible. But when hands start going away, there is less control on your bat swing and balance is affected,” he added.