The new “grand old” kid on the block…
You wait five years for the call from selectors. You keep scoring runs. ?You finally get that call. You wait for six hours to bat and you get a grubber, a shooter. You then get promoted ahead of your idol Rahul Dravid in the second innings. And play a super knock. sometimes, dreams do come true. Sometimes..
Here’s introducing himself to the biggest stage of cricket… the new “grand old” kid on the block.. Cheteshwar Pujara.. What a fantabulous dream debut this chap had. We have seen lots of cricketers making centuries on their debuts, but none of them I have seen or read about has been so impressive as this man’s.
This guy can play any shot in the book.. He can pull… He can cut.. He can play flawless straight drives.. He can defend the ball equally well.. What not!! All this not on the first day of a test match, but on the final day final session of a test where staying at the crease for half hour even for the greatest of greatest batsmen is a gigantic task, leave alone scoring runs at run a ball pace. This guy is just a treat to watch…
Just a few tests ago, we witnessed one of our other budding talent Suresh Raina get a century on his debut against the Lankans. But then, this was different class (without taking away any credits from Raina).
In making a mere 72 on his debut, he went on to post “just” the second highest score by an Indian in 4th innings on the 5th day of a test match after Abbas Ali Baig who had achieved this feat only some 35 years ago.
I call him the “grand old” kid because he has grown really old scoring runs at the domestic circuit at an unmatched consistency for the past five years, yet going unnoticed everytime. Thanks to Mr. Kris Srikkanth!!
Now that he has announced his arrival at the biggest stage, he is here to stay and that too for a long time. Way to go Pujara!! Good luck!
