Cheteshwar Pujara: Not just a bench warmer

Cheteshwar Pujara's classy unbeaten 135 under pressure on Saturday was another bright example of adaptability in this new-age Indian cricket team under the youthful and aggressive captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Determined to prove that he is better off in the middle than just warming the benches, the 27-year-old Saurashtra batsman was the latest Indian player to excel in an unfamiliar batting position.

Having scored a majority of his Test runs – 1,814 out of his 2,073 (prior to the SSC Test) – at No. 3, Pujara scored what could be a career-defining century, his first as an opener and seventh overall. This was also his sixth first-innings century, the only second-innings century coming at the Wanderers in 2013. Incidentally, that was the last of his seven hundreds before going through a lean patch last year after which he was dropped for "not making good his starts". In the intervening period since that 153 in the second innings, Pujara scored 585 runs at 26.59 with only three half-centuries.

Being dropped from the playing XI has only made him more determined to grab the opportunity that came by. He has worked hard in the nets, learning from the mistakes that cost him his No. 3 place after the third Test in Melbourne last December.

On a greenish Sinhalese Sports Club pitch where two of the top-order batsmen -- Kohli and Rohit Sharma – got out playing away from their body, Pujara played watchfully, not chasing the away-going deliveries.

It is difficult to imagine what Pujara must be going through, knowing very well that his place in the next Test is not guaranteed despite the fighting ton.

"I kept things simple," Pujara said after the end of day's play in Colombo on Saturday. "I had to go play my natural game. If I think about all those things (not guaranteed a place again), I don't think I will be able to perform to the best of my ability. The plan was very simple: try and rotate strike, see through the new ball."

It will be highly unfair to keep Pujara out of the XI from now on, especially after this masterly knock. He has given his detractors what was expected of him – converting his start and still going strong, something that was missing from him in 2014.

By his own admission, Pujara said "I had a tough time in between (2014)." He gained confidence from his India 'A' coach Rahul Dravid.

"The best thing (advice) came from Rahul bhai," Pujara said. "He said there was nothing wrong with my technique. 'Overall you were batting well in England and Australia, just that you did not convert 30s and 40s. There is a big one coming very soon. It can be in Sri Lanka, the next series or for India A'. I believed in myself."

Pujara warmed up for this series by opening the batting for India 'A' against Australia 'A' in the two 'Tests'. He scored 55 and 42 in the first game and 11 apiece in in the second one. He also got meaningful batting practice in the warm-up game before the Tests with scores of 42 (at No. 6) and 31 (retired) at No. 4 against Sri Lanka Board President's XI.

He rated his latest century as "one of the top five centuries I have scored at the international level" and the SSC pitch as one of the toughest he has played on.

"When I went in, it reminded me of playing in South Africa. Obviously, it was one of the toughest wickets I have played on, especially when the ball was new and you can't get away. You had to survive and when you got a loose ball, you convert it," Pujara said.

To be able to score a century in only his fifth attempt as a makeshift opener – he averaged 101.50 as an opener before the ongoing Test – called for tremendous effort.

Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay are automatic choices to open the batting once they are fully fit. Ajinkya Rahane seems to have made the No. 3 position his own, at least for the time being, while Kohli is the obvious No. 4.

Where does that leave KL Rahul and Rohit with? It is unfair to drop Rahul, who has scored two centuries in his four Tests and received a beauty on Friday morning to be bowled second ball. And, you cannot leave out a player who has scored a century when the situation – both team and pitch conditions – demanded.

Against all this, and going by what team director Ravi Shastri said on the eve of the third Test -- "in this team, no one owns a batting position" -- perhaps fingers will be pointing at Sharma, who has not made good the umpteen chances that he has got in the Test line-up.

People have scored centuries to make a mark and be counted. But Sharma has not done himself any good. Since scoring his two Test hundreds in his first two appearances, Sharma has gone through 21 innings for a total of 506 at an average of 24.09 with three fifties.

That gives Pujara some hope.