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Cheteshwar Pujara has carved out a distinguished career in red-ball cricket, earning a reputation as a tenacious batsman who places an immense value on his wicket. This resolute approach to batting, characterized by an unwillingness to be easily dismissed, has been the bedrock of his success. His steadfastness at the crease has been rewarded with 103 Test caps for India, during which he has amassed 7,195 runs, including 19 centuries.
Pujara's remarkable endurance at the crease has been instrumental in securing significant victories for India in challenging overseas tours, notably in the West Indies, Australia, and South Africa. However, his renowned stubbornness isn't limited to the cricket pitch. Former Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma recently shared an amusing anecdote that unveiled another dimension of Pujara's unyielding nature.
The revelation occurred during the book launch of 'The Diary Of A Cricketer’s Wife', written by Pujara's wife. Sharma recounted an incident from a 2012 India A tour in the West Indies where Pujara's particular brand of persistence led to the pair being surrounded by a crowd.
Prompting his teammate to share the story, Rohit asked Pujara to elaborate on the memorable event from that tour.
“I’m a vegetarian, so we were looking for a vegetarian meal at night and it was in TNT (Trinidad and Tobago) where we went out at 11 in the evening. So, we didn’t find the meal but when we were walking back, I was mobbed. I can’t tell you in detail about it but that’s the story he’s referring to,” Pujara said.
Rohit then summed it up by saying:
“Moral of the story, sometimes he can be stubborn. We told him, we warned him, don’t go in the night. Don’t go outside after 9pm, this is the West Indies.”
Reflecting on their shared history, the Mumbaikar reminisced about the monumental challenge that dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara has always presented. He revealed that Pujara's reputation for being a formidable opponent was established very early in their careers. The task of getting him out was so consistently demanding that it became the central focus of team strategy sessions. In fact, even as far back as their time competing at the Under-14 level, entire team meetings would be dedicated to the singular topic of how to break through Pujara's defense and claim his wicket.
“I still remember, team meetings only revolved around him (on) how to get him out, and if we don’t get him out, probably we’d lose the game. All I remember is that when I used to go to the ground, when I was 14-years-old, and when I came back in the evening, the color of my face would be completely different,” Hitman further stated.
“My mom used to ask me ‘You looked different when you left for the match and after you are back, you look like something else.’ I used to tell ‘Mom, there is this batsman called Cheteshwar Pujara. He keeps on batting for three days and we keep fielding during the entire time,’” he concluded.
Recently, Rohit decided to conclude his career in Test cricket after facing a challenging period where he struggled to score runs. At 38 years old, he leaves the longest format of the game with a notable record. Throughout his Test career, Rohit earned 67 caps for his country. In that time, he accumulated a total of 4,307 runs. His performance is highlighted by a commendable batting average of 40.57, and his run tally includes 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries.
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