Cheteshwar Pujara as a Role Model
This article looks at the various qualities which make Cheteshwar Pujara a role model for anyone, whether someone is a cricketer or not. Pujara's recent success is only a result of those traits which he has had all along. Follow this article and understand what those traits exactly are.
Cheteshwar Pujara is my role model. You may ask why, considering he does not have the range of shots which Kohli or de Villiers has. Neither does he have the flamboyance of Rahul Dravid. Yet even in this day and age, Cheteshwar Pujara stands out as someone unique, as someone special.
Let me state one thing here. Apart from playing some amount of recreational cricket, I cannot be described as a cricketer by any standards. However, after having been a fan of the game for so long, I believe that a game like Cricket has some lessons in it for everyone, whether one is a cricketer or not.
Pujara recently came into focus as one of the prime reasons for India's victory over Australia in the recent series. However, when I call Pujara my role model, I am not looking at his statistics alone. Rather, I am trying to appreciate his whole attitude towards the game. Preserves his uniqueness
If anyone looks at the strike rates of test match batsmen in this decade, it would be clear that even in the five-day games, batsmen are looking to pounce on every scoring opportunity. Yet, Pujara stands out amongst the crowd. When he gets a length ball outside the off stump he leaves it. When he gets a good delivery on the stump line, he defends it. He doesn't mind the fact that he is so 'different' from the rest. He doesn't try to imitate Virat Kohli or KL Rahul. He reminds us that to shine like a star, it is not necessary to imitate someone else.Focus
Pujara reminds us why a five-day match is called a test match. You can see it in his eyes. He is always focused on the ball. Whatever happens behind the wickets or whatever is being said by the bowler or the fielders do not have any effect on him. He never seems to get flustering precisely because of the superhuman focus which he possesses. Neither does he try to sled others. Like an honest worker, he focuses on the job to be done.
What's more, he maintains that same level of concentration throughout his innings. He reminds us that being focused is the most important part of the job, even though in the midst of a thousand distractions, it may be the hardest thing to do.Love for the job
It is not hard to see that Pujara loves the position he is at. This can be supported from the fact that is after having faced a thousand deliveries in Australia, he was back in the Saurashtra team, playing the Ranji Trophy. He just loves to bat on and on. He reminds us that true success will come only when you do the job you love the most.
But clearly, there are problems on the way. Most of us want an occupation which is vastly different from the jobs we find ourselves ending up at. What do we do then?
If such a scenario does indeed occur, then it would be wise to remember that whatever job we are doing, we are acting as a gear which is helping this great machinery called the economy to move forward. But as far as possible, we should find what we love doing and then find a job accordingly. Self-assessment
At this point, I reminded of the last series India played in South Africa. In that series, Pujara tried out a tactic of running quick singles, perhaps realizing that his style of playing was perhaps a bit too slow. The tactic failed, however, as Pujara was run out multiple times. In the next series, he was back to his old ways. This shows his capacity to assess his own strengths and weaknesses and his mistakes as well. Most of us, on the other hand, have an unending capacity to ignore our largest mistakes while noticing the smallest faults in others.Conclusion
It is obvious that Pujara is only one of the great batsmen which India currently has. But his qualities of endless concentration and his patience make him a unique character. What's more, he is bent on preserving his uniqueness. That's why, even if his style of batting is boring, even if he hasn't got all the shots, he will still be my role model.
A good article on one's role model. I am impressed with the authors intention of not going for statistics when selecting one's role model and going for the inherent characteristics.
I am not a cricket fan or a person much interested in cricket except seeing some crucial final matches where India is one of the teams but I think that the the way the qualities and inbuilt potential of this cricketer is considered he might prove a valuable wicket in India's long term international cricket strategies.
The important thing is that Pujara should be able to contain his temperament and sustain his sportsmanship in the coming times to strengthen the Indian team.