Sledging is overrated, it is irrelevant: Cheteshwar Pujara

He was the cornerstone for India’s success in the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. Cheteshwar Pujara with his gritty batting and unwavering concentration had ground the Aussie bowling to the ground. 521 runs from the 4 Test matches and his appetite did not appear to have been satiated. With the marquee fixture of the 2020/21 crocheting season mere days away, Pujara seems to be in the mood again.

It is the atmosphere that makes Test cricket in Australia one of the toughest destinations to play in. The visitors not being allowed to settle, the constant chatter around the batsmen, the crowd getting in on the act making it further intimidating. But, for Pujara, nothing matters. He has the ability to tune out all the noise and make batting his only focus while at the crease. “I think sledging is overrated. It’s irrelevant,” Pujara said. “I don’t think you can win too many battles with sledging. I don’t even know what they are saying when I am in my zone.”

“I would definitely like to repeat the performance, but I am not someone who would live on past glory,” he added almost as a warning of things to come. “Yes, it was an excellent tour but this will be a fresh start. I will have to be in my zone again. It’s not that because it worked in the past, results will follow. They never do. You have to concentrate in every innings.” 

So what’s the secret to his incredible powers of concentration? Pujara answers, “My routine – meditation, prayers and yoga are part of my life. I don’t do them consciously to improve my game but there is correlation for sure. They help me stay calm and positive.”

Pujara, who almost exclusively plays only Test Cricket for India says that he has had his sights set on the Australia series ever since the pandemic disrupted normalcy. “I always had my mind on this tour. I had predicted that we will resume international cricket with Australia. Subconsciously, even in April, May, June, I had this series in mind. Fortunately, the lockdown was not as severe in Rajkot. I have been batting and doing what I should be doing.”

So, is Pujara worried that his past performances would have made Aussies warier of his abilities, and thus made him a bigger target? “Yes, they would have studied me. We won the series; I got runs, so there will be extra pressure. But that’s what one has to learn to handle. I think you just have to stick to your strength. If you watch the ball and play to the merit of the ball, you will be successful most of the time,” Pujara said.

[HT inputs]