Is Pujara Past His Best? What's hurting India's noted #3?

What took place at Mumbai was more than a thumping win for India. Right ahead of the 37th over of India¡¯s batting one saw quite a spectacle. Something serious, intense, worrisome even.

Drawing the batsman on strike cleverly forward to a sharply turning one that went straight into the hands of the slip fielder, an Ajaz Patel delivery sealed the fate of Cheteshwar Pujara¡¯s inning of 47.

But it was the manner of the dismissal and the time umpires took to announce the wicket that conveyed all that¡¯s happening- and has happened- to Pujara, once India¡¯s best Test batsman.

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Multiple replays of the ball reaching Taylor¡¯s grasp just after which it would bounce whilst being collected cleanly all throughout suggested this was more than some third-umpire¡¯s decision.

It reminded one of the hits and misses Pujara has endured at the crease of lately.

Rather, for much of 2021.

The sense of panic about his dismissal, evident, the fear that this was it, inevitable.

Ultimately, seeing a reputed Test bat depart rather upset having batted as a makeshift opener (lasting for 97 deliveries) was sad.

For it exposed us to Pujara¡¯s here-at-the-crease, but gone-the-next-delivery vulnerability.

This was evident in his Wankhede-bound 47, an inning that could so easily have become a thirty-second Test fifty. Then seen in his Sydney-bound outing, 3rd Test in January, where it took the Rajkot-born 176 deliveries to touch 50.

And how can one forget his 8 off 54 at Southampton and the painful-to-watch 15 in the final inning at the World Test Championship final that took over two hours to construct?

But what concerns Pujara¡¯s critics, who today measure in multiples, much like motionless cars on a major traffic junction, is his lack of runs.

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They are quick to point to a Rahul and even Pant¡¯s numbers in five-dayers in 2021.

Rahul took just 4 games to cross 300 runs including a century at Lord¡¯s. Moreover, boasted of an average of 39. Pant, pocket rocket to some, over hyped for Tests to most others, scored 706 in just 11 games.

Meanwhile, for much of 2021, Pujara appeared on the crease, tried a few things, evaded bouncers, kept the good deliveries away, and in the end- got out at the back of that increasing pressure of not scoring for many overs.

At his side, there was pressure even from those who made chants for scoring at a higher rate, perhaps a truth of this era, Pujara¡¯s added responsibility.

In doing so, making a long distance runner, jumping and hopping in a steeplechase event.

But his problems don¡¯t end here; he¡¯s played too many knocks wherein a start wasn¡¯t converted into something big.

For someone who began his series in Australia striking two patient fifties, a 50 and 77 each at Sydney, Pujara failed to get going at Brisbane, where his 56 ended after a 35-over-vigil in the middle.

At Headingly, he moved only as far as a solitary run, ending his knock on 91, which is when he was unbeaten overnight on a 90. That should have been a ton. One that could have gone some way at least to keep the garrulous talkers at bay who begin and end their day waxing lyrical on Pujara¡¯s downfall.

What one hasn¡¯t seen is the familiar comfort in coming down the pitch, working the ones and twos, slaying spinners down the legs, much like he did until 2018, a distinct example being Leach and Bess, both of whom worked him up aplenty at the MA Chidambaram Stadium this year.

What one has seen, however, is the difficulty in reading the moving delivery and the lurking fear that one among the slips would get to do catching practice.

To many of us, who like Test Cricket and hate that the incessant rise of T20s has hurt the culture of the sport¡¯s purist format, Pujara¡¯s likes are a lasting reminder of something good.

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And that good often stays in the past.

Pujara¡¯s kinds are a throwback to an era where things were simpler. A time where there was joy in battling, a certain degree of pride in competing- not in rubbing one¡¯s victory on another¡¯s face- and that integrity in upholding one¡¯s team¡¯s cause.

It¡¯s something he¡¯s done all these years playing Cricket¡¯s staunchest format for a decade from which he¡¯s conjured 6500 plus runs and struck 18 tons. It¡¯s something he¡¯s done with ardent nicety and patience, the latter mowing down even an Australia.

Think the 2016-17 series, where a 525-ball-stay at Ranchi produced 202 runs, the longest-ever stay at the wicket by an Indian in Test cricket.

Perhaps that effort mirrored a Michelangelo scrupulously constructing a masterpiece.

Four years back, a Pujara who average north of 51 had declared, ever so sincerely minus any vitriol that he saw tired eyes of Australians after his mega knock.

Four years hence, many admit to having been tired by the number of times Pujara has disappointed them with his antics.

Taking too long a time to get his eye on. Taking much longer to find the odd boundary.

Yet, you can¡¯t help but be reminded of that 2018 sensational tour to Australia. An occasion where 500 plus runs came from a stoic bat held by a man who wore cool weathers.

Maybe too distinct a sight to remember for the same man today seems under the weather.

And he has none to blame but his own self. He can¡¯t blame a paucity of chances either.

The joy, and unparalleled, will it be to see runs flowing from the bat that has gone silent. The haunting truth is Pujara may never have too many chances of doing so.

The writer is a freelance sports writer based in New Delhi.