The last that Cheteshwar Pujara batted in the West Indies, Marlon Samuels was still struggling for runs, Keemo Paul wasn’t yet an international cricketer, Evin Lewis hadn’t played in the IPL, and Andre Russell was still out injured.
It could be said, quite a bit has changed for both sides since the 2017 series when India toured the great land of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle.
The West Indies, who, until a couple of years ago, was yet again touching the rock bottom, managed to reach the World Cup 2019, but not before embarrassing themselves having contested at the Qualifiers in 2018.
Holder’s team now boasts of a cricketing salute that can brighten up even the stiffest fan’s face. And on a more serious note, KL Rahul is a regular member of the Test set-up.
But Cheteshwar Pujara Needs To Make A Move On Vs West Indians
Though, what hasn’t quite changed but is in an urgent need of some is Cheteshwar Pujara’s record against the West Indies.
For starters, if you purely gaze at his batting average against the Jason Holder-led side, then that 48 would yield a ‘very satisfying’ feedback or say, a ‘thumbs-up ‘mark of approval. Even though, you’d be way more delighted to know that against more difficult bowling opponents, the focused batsman has fared much better.
In fact, Pujara’s amassed runs at an average of 60 against Australia, at 54 against Williamson’s New Zealand, and at a staggering 137 against Mashrafe and Shakib-dominated Bangladesh.
But what’s rather surprising and particularly so, going by the batsman’s high standards of playing big innings is that he happens to have scored only 1 Test century of his 18 in against West Indies.
For a batsman who happens to have scored 3 double hundreds, two of them alone against (reigning) world champions England, how come he’s missed out punishing one of the more banal bowling units, you wonder?
The Only Time Pujara Scored A Ton In Tests Vs Windies
Now that Test cricket is finally resuming for a batsman who we haven’t seen a hell lot of and actually, haven’t bothered much about simply because in front of the unsparing ODI schedule our thoughts have hardly wandered in his direction, something beckons a change.
For starters, can one of India’s stoic accumulator of runs collect that elusive hundred in the West Indies?
Arguably, one of Pujara’s more understated efforts came at Mumbai, back in 2013 in a Test whereupon he crossed his first three-figure mark against the West Indies.
He compiled a hard-fought, characteristically gritty 113 on a batting-friendly turf. But the knock was easily forgotten, blanketed by the grimness surrounding Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement. Such occasions call for a prolonged state of reminiscing, after all, don’t they?
Since then, Pujara’s traveled only once to the Caribbean.
And it may surprise the nerdiest number-cracker that the best that Pujara’s scored there in the West Indies is a rather sedate 46.
Additionally, in 6 batting innings, Pujara’s only breached the 50-mark once in his career.
But with the West Indies all set to challenge India’s batting might with an attack that shall feature Gabriel and Roach, with Holder for company, can that change?
For starters, there’s nothing that the man from Saurashtra would want than to raise his bat and look skywards akin to tall heroes of the past, some that he’s grown up admiring, such as Rahul Dravid.