Deep in his heart, Cheteshwar Pujara knows that he would prefer to bat at No. 3, where he has played all his life for his Ranji Trophy team Saurashtra.
India's No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara can breathe a little easy, for a while at least. Unlike before, there is no uncertainty on his batting position, now that a specialist opener in Gautam Gambhir has been called in as a replacement for the hamstrung KL Rahul for the rest of the two Tests against New Zealand.
A few times in the past, the 28-year-old Saurashtra right-hander was made the makeshift opener due to injuries to one of the regular openers. Pujara, without sulking, took up the challenge of opening the innings and even scored a match-winning – and subsequently series-clinching – unbeaten 145 in Sri Lanka last year.
Pujara has been saying that he is ready to bat at any position the team wants to him to bat. Flexibility has been the hallmark of this Indian team for a while now, especially after Virat Kohli took over the reins from MS Dhoni. So much so that the skipper himself has said that he would open the innings if the situation demanded him to.
Pujara's average of 116.00 as an opener – he has batted in positions 1 or 2 six times in his career and scored a century and two fifties – indicates that he is perfectly suited to open the innings.
However, deep in his heart, Pujara knows that he would prefer to bat at No. 3, where he has played all his life for his Ranji Trophy team Saurashtra. He has also played 48 out of his 60 Test innings at that position, scoring six centuries and seven fifties for an average of 47.61 and a Test high of 206*.
Asked if Pujara can breathe easily for the time being, now that he will not be shuffled, chief coach Anil Kumble said here on Tuesday: "I don't think Pujara has ever breathed easily, from all you guys' perspective and some people who are constantly watching him. At least from the team management and the team's perspective, there is absolutely no pressure on Pujara.
"He's a very important cog in our team. And we've seen over the years his contribution. Even in the last Test match (Kanpur), we saw the importance of his contribution to the team's cause. So, I don't see pressure on anyone in this team. The beauty about this squad is that there's hardly any pressure on anyone. Yes, there are roles and responsibilities but there's no pressure put on any player," he added.
There are certain positions that a batsmen is used to. It is to the team's deterrent that it constantly changes the batting order in the name of flexibility. It is a different matter that a No. 3 batsman may go and face the new ball even before the No. 2. But going in at No. 3 is a lot different from going in at No. 1 or 2. It requires a different mindset. Imagine asking VVS Laxman to open the innings instead of his preferred No. 3 spot, where he has scored some path-breaking centuries.
India need a solid, technically sound batsman in Pujara at No. 3. Often, his strike rate has been questioned, critics slamming him for batting too slowly. But how else is one supposed to bat in Test cricket? Should one bat like he does in ODIs or T20s even in the longest format?
Kumble put things in perspective when it came to talking about strike rate in Test cricket. "I'm a bit old-fashioned," Kumble said two days ahead of the second Test. "I know there is a lot of (talk of) strike rate in the last eight years after the advent of T20. When I was playing, in Test cricket, strike rates were mostly talked about for bowlers and not for batsmen. That's how I like to look at it.
"In a team, you need different characters, different quality players. Players whose skill-sets are suited to different challenges that happen in a Test match. Because, we've seen that's what happens in a Test match. That's the beauty about Test cricket. From my point of view, as far as I am concerned, strike rates are relevant only for bowlers in Test matches," Kumble added.
Pujara's strike rate came in for examination in the West Indies series, where he scored at 23.88 and 28.93 in the two innings he played there. The number improved in the Kanpur Test, when he scored two half-centuries at at a rate of above 50.
"I think based on situations, you need to bat," Kumble said in support of Pujara. "Both those innings (Pujara in West Indies) were relevant. Even in the first Test match, Vijay got out cheaply and then he and Shikhar had a good partnership till lunch. That was crucial for the team, because we went into lunch losing only one wicket. And we all know the importance of the first session of a Test match which is the first Test of a series.
"So, the relevance of Pujara is extremely there. But I'm really surprised and a bit disappointed that this talk keeps coming up. As long as someone reads the situation and plays according to the situation, that's what is expected of the team. And, he is a very important cog in our team and in our plans. And he's been successful and I know that he will continue to be successful."
At least for the time being, it seems the No. 3 position in the team is locked for Pujara.
BOX
Strike rate defined
A batting strike rate is runs scored per 100 deliveries, while a bowling strike rate is the average number of deliveries for every wicket taken
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48.46
Pujara's career strike rate in Tests (in comparison, Rahul Dravid, India's best ever No. 3 batsman, had a career strike rate of 42.51)
47.80
Pujara's career strike in Tests at No. 3 (Dravid's strike rate in this position is 42.78)
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 "Cheteshwar Pujara")
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