It’s rare to read a comment from the hard nosed press that “someone was good to write about,”.
It always seemed though that Pujara was a solid player, totally committed to his team and the cause.
He was not involved in melodrama He came over as decent, and he has given great service to the game. Let us hope that he utilises his abilities for the benefit of others and gains enjoyment from so doing.
Beautiful stuff, Gideon. I loved watching Che play. He felt like a throwback, a classic batter from the generation before. But he was always great to watch.
I was going to write that my one quibble is that he never broadened his game to play more expansively like Gavaskar managed at the back end of his career. However his career strike rate is higher than that of Gavaskar, Dravid and Vengsarkar. The moral may be that it is all too easy to underestimate the self-effacing man from a humble background.
I remember reading when he had that great summer in Australia that he watched the ball all the time, even when it was being thrown around the field back to the bowler; not sure why, but when I watched, he did actually seem to watch the ball in the field more than most. Perhaps there was something in it for him.
A great player, a real test player. Frustrating but good to watch the technique and the concentration, felt he would never get out at times.
Great stuff Gideon. From an Australian perspective Pujara’s wicket seemed to carry as much if not more weight than Kohli’s at times due to his formidable defence. I remember Hazlewood saying as much. A bit similar to the damage Mohammad Azharuddin did during the 1998 tour of India with his big hitting. Tendulkar got the big runs and the plaudits, but Warne said Azharuddin had the far more damaging impact on the psyche of the Australian bowlers.
One of the most singular albums in my record collection is by Australian writer Gerald Murnane, titled Words In Order. It includes a 1600 word palindrome on the A side. One of the other tracks on the album has Gerald reciting Knuckles the Dog (Who Helps People) and having a good cackle at the end. You can hear it on Bandcamp.
It’s rare to read a comment from the hard nosed press that “someone was good to write about,”.
It always seemed though that Pujara was a solid player, totally committed to his team and the cause.
He was not involved in melodrama He came over as decent, and he has given great service to the game. Let us hope that he utilises his abilities for the benefit of others and gains enjoyment from so doing.
Beautiful stuff, Gideon. I loved watching Che play. He felt like a throwback, a classic batter from the generation before. But he was always great to watch.
I was going to write that my one quibble is that he never broadened his game to play more expansively like Gavaskar managed at the back end of his career. However his career strike rate is higher than that of Gavaskar, Dravid and Vengsarkar. The moral may be that it is all too easy to underestimate the self-effacing man from a humble background.
I remember reading when he had that great summer in Australia that he watched the ball all the time, even when it was being thrown around the field back to the bowler; not sure why, but when I watched, he did actually seem to watch the ball in the field more than most. Perhaps there was something in it for him.
A great player, a real test player. Frustrating but good to watch the technique and the concentration, felt he would never get out at times.
Oh. So beautifully written as always
Astonishing coaching edict from dad. Could he really go through his childhood without having a hit
with his friends ? Not even at lunch time at school ? Maybe that took as much or more willpower than he showed when playing at the highest level.
I can totally see why his dad did this.. the default shot in the gullies is to swing across the line and go for the glory shot.
Great stuff Gideon. From an Australian perspective Pujara’s wicket seemed to carry as much if not more weight than Kohli’s at times due to his formidable defence. I remember Hazlewood saying as much. A bit similar to the damage Mohammad Azharuddin did during the 1998 tour of India with his big hitting. Tendulkar got the big runs and the plaudits, but Warne said Azharuddin had the far more damaging impact on the psyche of the Australian bowlers.
Pujara was certainly a batsman who harked back to the traditional school of Indian batting. Doughty, conservative and steadfast .
His rasping cuts and flicks will be long remembered .
I think he will have a lot to offer to Indian cricket as a batting consultant.
One of the most singular albums in my record collection is by Australian writer Gerald Murnane, titled Words In Order. It includes a 1600 word palindrome on the A side. One of the other tracks on the album has Gerald reciting Knuckles the Dog (Who Helps People) and having a good cackle at the end. You can hear it on Bandcamp.
Exquisite. Both the piece, and Pujara’s “impenetrable forward press“.
His cover drives were sublime, Martyn-esque minus the hubris.