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India vs New Zealand 2nd Test: Pepping up Cheteshwar Pujara underlines Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble’s mastery

India’s overall lead was already past 100, and with 9 wickets intact the hosts were expected to keep piling up runs and pressure on New Zealand in first Test.

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Anil Kumble praised Cheteshwar Pujara and mentioned he was vital cog for India © AFP
Anil Kumble praised Cheteshwar Pujara and mentioned he was vital cog for India © AFP

It was advantage India even when KL Rahul was dismissed at the stroke of tea on the third day of their first Test against New Zealand. India’s overall lead was already past 100, and with 9 wickets intact the hosts were expected to keep piling up runs and pressure on New Zealand. It is not that the Kiwis had started losing the will to fight, but the fact that it was India taking charge of the situation was something that was never seen, and so was the start made by a certain No. 3 specialist who the world believes is yet to deliver to his potential. It was not expected that Cheteshwar Pujara, who would join Murali Vijay in the final session, would start his innings the way he did at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.

Ideally a batsman who takes his own time to find feet every single innings and then look for runs, Pujara not just surprised, he surprised everyone with an aggressive start. The first three scoring shots of Pujara were boundaries — never in his international career Pujara has done that before — and not only the New Zealand cricket team but all those watching were taken by surprise. Pujara not only sparked an aggressive beginning to the final session — heading into which New Zealand already had their backs on the wall — he also underlined an approach which his captain Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble have asked him to take.

Following India’s massive win by 197 runs at Kanpur, Kohli spoke about the role he wants Pujara to play in this Indian side. While it is obvious that a captain wants runs from one of his premier batsmen, it is the ‘how’ which is the more important aspect here. Here is what Kohli said in the press meet: “Pujara is someone who absorbs the pressure really well but after a certain stage in the innings there comes a time when the team needs runs. That’s where we felt that he has the ability to capitalise. It was just about conveying that to him. He has worked hard on his game. He scored at a good strike rate in the Duleep Trophy. Even on this wicket he was scoring at 65, almost 70 strike rate.”

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He continued: “Which for me was a revelation, to see Pujara bat that way, because he used to bat that way initially, especially at home. If you see his double-hundreds against England and Australia, he will dominate spinners. That’s exactly what we wanted him to do. We didn’t want him to go into a shell. We want Pujara to bat to his potential. Once he starts scoring runs to go with the composure he already has, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to have control of the game. That’s all we wanted to convey to him.”

Kohli’s idea of getting Pujara bat at a higher strike rate highlights how much the Indian captain wants his team to be aggressive. The stage is already set for India, and the first act has been terrific for them. Despite a strong fightback from New Zealand at Kanpur, India have managed to get off to an impactful start, which is bound to have some sort of effect on other teams like England and Australia who are scheduled to arrive in India for their home season.

Knowing the fact that Pujara is a ‘home bully’ — that is, someone who is expected to get a lot of runs playing at home in favourable condition — his role in the time to come will be extremely crucial. India are playing 5 Tests against England and 4 more against Australia, which means the obvious aim will not be just to win both series but as many Tests as possible. In order to do that India will need runs from their top-order the way they got in the first Test at Kanpur against New Zealand as well as from their middle-order, which is perhaps why Rohit Sharma the aggressor finds backing.

Kohli and Kumble’s aspirations are widely known. While Kohli wants India to play aggressive brand of cricket and do their best in Test cricket for over time, Kumble is there to ensure that what Kohli desires, is achieved. Kumble’s experience, knowledge and insight into the game are extremely critical for a young Indian Test side who will have their batsmen and spinners forming bases for many wins the like they have done in the past 5 Tests at home since Kohli took over. For that matter, India’s most experienced Test cricketer at present in this squad is Ishant Sharma.

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Indeed, Kohli and Kumble’s idea to approach Pujara and let him know what is expected from him is nothing but quality management. A few seasons ago, the batsman touted to be the next Rahul Dravid was spending time in the nets honing his bowling skills in order to make himself look multitalented and compete with others like Rohit and Murali Vijay, who are already used as spinners in the Indian Test side.

At that time Pujara was probably clueless about his future, as his core talent of scoring runs was not being given enough respect. The competition has intensified among the young cricketers as India were headed into a rebuilding phase, but to have ignored basic skills of a very talented batsman is something the previous Indian management stands guilty of.

Kohli’s idea of aggression starts right from the top, which is why not only Pujara, but Dhawan and Rahul fit in perfectly. If Vijay drops anchor and the other opener goes out to score aggressively, India are set to get excellent starts which the next in the batting line-up can make most of. The middle-order, which of late has been inconsistent, can take on from where the batsmen at the top leave and consolidate.

By letting Pujara specifically know what is expected from him, Kohli and Kumble have not only paved a way for success but have also infused a lot of confidence and self-belief on a batsman who has been through some tough few years in international cricket. Not only Pujara, but India’s Test side should get the benefits after this.

(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)

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