Cheteshwar Pujara is India's hottest new find. He couldn't have scripted a better return to the International side after debuting against Australia in January 2011. Fast forward to September 2012, Pujara comes in at the position which Dravid solidified throughout his career and smashes 159 against an average new Zealand attack. Result, the 24-year old was being compared to the Wall, something that Cricket fanatics are eager to do.
The void left in the batting line-up after the successive retirements of Dravid and VVS Laxman have seen many future prospects such as Virat Kohli and Pujara make ammense. However, that by no means is enough evident ot compare the younger crop to the likes of VVS and Dravid. At an atmosphere where every youngster is hogging the limelight after a few good innings in IPL or either a T20, Pujara has made it count on the traditional format. However, Pujara is only four Test matches old and it is not justified to compare him with a name as big as Rahul Dravid.
Known for playing big innings and not giving his wicket away, the Ahmedabad double- centurion indeed possesses a few capabilities of Dravid. The way his bat comes forward, the way he leans forward and treats the ball on its merit; much like Dravid. But let us not get carried away by these string of performances which haven't really been tested in tough conditions. England bowling attack is quite decent but if one lauds a run-fest on a flat deck then things are far from reaching a conclusion. Not to take away any credit from the young lad, the guy has impressed a whole lot of pundits.
Im tired of seeing Fcebook status messages and tweets such as "Pujara - the next Wall" or "Virat Kohli - the future Sachin". For me, comparison in Cricket is a bit too cliched. Every second player with impactful performances is being burdened with the pressure of comparisons. No two individuals have the same DNA structure. Hence, one cannot expect an equality amongst the two. Dravid's and Pujara's case is not different either.
When Dravid started out in his career, he went from strength to strength after debuting with a memorable 95 against England at Lord's in 1996. Many believed that he only suited the Test format due to his non-aggressive batting style. But once Dravid entered the ODI front, not only did he excel there, he eventually went on to become one of the six ODI players to amass the 10,000 run mountain. Comfortable both against pace and spin, sheer determination, immaculate concentration and absorbing pressure were the hallmark of Dravid's legendary career. Dravid excelled in both home and away conditions. Something that the younger crop is finding difficult to do.
On the other hand, Puajra is technically upright and his batting temperament is quite familiar to the man he's been compared to. Infact his comfort against short-pitched bowling and his run accumulation gives us a deja-vu. But he is yet to face the real music yet. Facing Anderson and Broad in flat Indian pitches is a different ball game altogether as compared to facing them In England. Pujara is yet to be fairly tested. No wonder, the guy is capable of playing long innings without breaking a sweat. Three triple-centuries in one month of a domestic season and century and a double only in his fourth test outing is quite an impressive profile but no one knows how long is it going to stay.
Cheteshwar Pujara is here to say. It wouldn't be called too bold a statement to be made. By the kind of performances he's stitched up, its beyond doubt that at least in the Test areana, the 24-year old will make it big. But whether he'll rise up to David’s stature remains to be seen. How will he fare against the likes of James Pattinson, Dale Steyn and Ben Hilfenhaus in seaming and bouncy conditions. Pujara reaching the standards of The Wall is still away by quite a long shot. Eventually, it'll come down to his consistency and adaptability over the course of time.
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