Pujara's next challenge- Captaincy
There is a lot of interesting stories happening around the India A v West Indies A game at Shimoga.
The KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) has managed what is unthinkable at most major cities in India - pack a ground for a first class game and in the words of Assad Fudadin "that too for 4-day cricket." The chief reason for this is undoubtedly the presence of fading stars such as Sehwag, Gambhir or Zaheer.
The Indian selectors, led by Sandeep Patil, have shown considerable clarity with the kind of selections they've made for this series. The first unofficial Test was a platform for the relatively lesser known players. The kind that has, fortunately or unfortunately (depending on which side of the fence you sit) escaped the flashlights of the IPL but have shone in the Ranji and other domestic tournaments. The troika (Sehwag, Zaheer and Gambhir) will get a chance to showcase their hunger, fitness and more once again. Leading all these men - each with a different personal agenda - is Cheteshwar Pujara.
He, for long, has been living up to the image fashioned around Rahul Dravid. It was evoked once again when he was batting alongside Virender Sehwag in the nets at Shimoga. The loudest cheers went up for the guy who has been out of the Indian side for over a year now. Not for the man who has unarguably been India's best Test batsman over the same period. A lesser man would have felt slighted at least a little but Pujara, much like the legend he's not unfairly compared to, knows better. He is a lot more mature. It is this maturity that has led to captaincy.
Captaincy. That is what will be the biggest test for Pujara in these 'A' games. Each of his peers - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan now and Suresh Raina not so long ago have been given leadership roles in various high profile series. the IPL in particular for the first three. For Pujara, it is these 'A' tours that gives him a chance to throw his hat in the race for the next Indian captain. Not that Dhoni is going anywhere soon but the grooming has started. Pujara has been leading India 'A' right from 2012 in the tour of West Indies. He has led in the Challenger Trophy last year and aslo, more recently, the away series against South Africa 'A'. However, in none of these series was his captaincy the prime focus.
While leading against West Indies 'A' in 2012 it was his return from injury. In the Challenger series, it was his capabilities as an ODI batsman and in the 'A' tour to South Africa, the focus was again on him warming up for the, then scheduled, senior team tour of South Africa.
Leading the 'A' side at home where his batting abilities are firmly sidelined, it is his captaincy nous that will be scrutinised.
He has a lot of tough decisions to make. He has admitted that the decision to bowl in the first game was wrong. He has also admitted that getting the right bowling combination was confusing. He has gone in with a two spinners in this game unlike the first.
While leading senior players can be a big help, it comes with its share of responsibilities too. Who will decide Sehwag's position in the batting order? It is clear now that Sehwag will bat in the middle order. Undoubtedly this is a decision taken in the best interests of Sehwag. Was it the right one for the team? How will he handle the non-inclusion of a senior guy like Mohammad Kaif more so when someone like Sehwag is being given some leeway to take his spot in the eleven. How about explaining it to someone craving for a bigger stage like Paras Dogra or an upcoming youngster like Sheldon Jackson.
Managing Zaheer's workload is another aspect. The pacer is coming back from an injury and will understandably not be bowling full tilt. This is again where a fine balance has to be struck between winning the game.
Ultimately, no captain would want to lose a series on home turf and particularly if you are leading a side as proud as India of their home record. Until the loss of the ODI series against West Indies 'A', no Indian men's team (senior, U-19 or the 'A' team) had lost a series in any form of cricket all year. Personally he would love to get that trend going back again and being the best batsman in the team, scoring a few runs will save him the additional pressure.
Pujara is a guy who has been easy to like. There will be a time when he has to ruffle a few feathers and buckle up to take the tough decisions. While each of the senior guys will be occupied with their personal game, the team needs someone secure like Pujara to take the right calls after all a series is at stake.
It is time for Pujara, the captain to step up and be noticed.
The KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) has managed what is unthinkable at most major cities in India - pack a ground for a first class game and in the words of Assad Fudadin "that too for 4-day cricket." The chief reason for this is undoubtedly the presence of fading stars such as Sehwag, Gambhir or Zaheer.
The Indian selectors, led by Sandeep Patil, have shown considerable clarity with the kind of selections they've made for this series. The first unofficial Test was a platform for the relatively lesser known players. The kind that has, fortunately or unfortunately (depending on which side of the fence you sit) escaped the flashlights of the IPL but have shone in the Ranji and other domestic tournaments. The troika (Sehwag, Zaheer and Gambhir) will get a chance to showcase their hunger, fitness and more once again. Leading all these men - each with a different personal agenda - is Cheteshwar Pujara.
He, for long, has been living up to the image fashioned around Rahul Dravid. It was evoked once again when he was batting alongside Virender Sehwag in the nets at Shimoga. The loudest cheers went up for the guy who has been out of the Indian side for over a year now. Not for the man who has unarguably been India's best Test batsman over the same period. A lesser man would have felt slighted at least a little but Pujara, much like the legend he's not unfairly compared to, knows better. He is a lot more mature. It is this maturity that has led to captaincy.
Captaincy. That is what will be the biggest test for Pujara in these 'A' games. Each of his peers - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan now and Suresh Raina not so long ago have been given leadership roles in various high profile series. the IPL in particular for the first three. For Pujara, it is these 'A' tours that gives him a chance to throw his hat in the race for the next Indian captain. Not that Dhoni is going anywhere soon but the grooming has started. Pujara has been leading India 'A' right from 2012 in the tour of West Indies. He has led in the Challenger Trophy last year and aslo, more recently, the away series against South Africa 'A'. However, in none of these series was his captaincy the prime focus.
While leading against West Indies 'A' in 2012 it was his return from injury. In the Challenger series, it was his capabilities as an ODI batsman and in the 'A' tour to South Africa, the focus was again on him warming up for the, then scheduled, senior team tour of South Africa.
Leading the 'A' side at home where his batting abilities are firmly sidelined, it is his captaincy nous that will be scrutinised.
He has a lot of tough decisions to make. He has admitted that the decision to bowl in the first game was wrong. He has also admitted that getting the right bowling combination was confusing. He has gone in with a two spinners in this game unlike the first.
While leading senior players can be a big help, it comes with its share of responsibilities too. Who will decide Sehwag's position in the batting order? It is clear now that Sehwag will bat in the middle order. Undoubtedly this is a decision taken in the best interests of Sehwag. Was it the right one for the team? How will he handle the non-inclusion of a senior guy like Mohammad Kaif more so when someone like Sehwag is being given some leeway to take his spot in the eleven. How about explaining it to someone craving for a bigger stage like Paras Dogra or an upcoming youngster like Sheldon Jackson.
Managing Zaheer's workload is another aspect. The pacer is coming back from an injury and will understandably not be bowling full tilt. This is again where a fine balance has to be struck between winning the game.
Ultimately, no captain would want to lose a series on home turf and particularly if you are leading a side as proud as India of their home record. Until the loss of the ODI series against West Indies 'A', no Indian men's team (senior, U-19 or the 'A' team) had lost a series in any form of cricket all year. Personally he would love to get that trend going back again and being the best batsman in the team, scoring a few runs will save him the additional pressure.
Pujara is a guy who has been easy to like. There will be a time when he has to ruffle a few feathers and buckle up to take the tough decisions. While each of the senior guys will be occupied with their personal game, the team needs someone secure like Pujara to take the right calls after all a series is at stake.
It is time for Pujara, the captain to step up and be noticed.
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