‘He is a blessing to have’- Sunil Gavaskar lauds Cheteshwar Pujara, compares him with ‘calm’ Hashim Amla
Cheteshwar Pujara(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on India batter Chetshwar Pujara and compared him with Hashim Amla. Pujara yet again came to the team’s rescue in the second Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg. He scored a fighting 53 and allowed India to set a target of 240 for the hosts to chase in the fourth innings. The knock was vital considering the lean patch he was going through.
On a tough Wanderers pitch when most of the batters struggle to get going, Pujara went about his business in a usual calm and composed manner. Gavaskar felt India number three batter’s temperament is terrific for the Indian dressing room, while he also compared him with former South Africa batter Hashim Amla, who was known for his calculative and calm playing style.
“When I look at him, he reminds me of Hashim. Watching Hashim bat, you know there’s a sense of calm that everything is under control,” Sunil Gavaskar said in a conversation with SuperSport.
The ball could be doing things but there was that sense because even on pitches where the ball was turning, the way Hashim was batting in India, it was almost as if, ‘look, nothing’s happening’, and that’s the same thing with Cheteshwar Pujara,” he added.
Pujara’s knock was not enough to help India win the match, but his timely return to form augurs well for the team. The right-hand batter was not perturbed by the loss of two early wickets and played each ball on its merit. Gavaskar felt when a player like Pujara bats in such a calm manner then it is certainly a blessing for the dressing room.
“It is a great, great blessing to have players of this temperament in your dressing room. (It may not be) necessarily just on the field but it’s a huge plus and I think having somebody with Cheteshwar Pujara’s temperament in the changing room must be absolutely terrific because, in international cricket, there are several moments of tension where people would want to do this or that or the other. When you have somebody who’s going to think about it calmly and give you a measured opinion it makes a big difference,” Gavaskar further said.
