Even as the India’s national side does battle with the visiting New Zealand outfit in the limited-overs series, Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara battled back to form with his record 12th double ton in first-class cricket while leading Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy clash against Jharkhand in Rajkot on Thursday.
Scoring 204 runs in 355 balls, the Saurashtra captain surpassed legendary cricketer Vijay Merchant’s all-time record for most 200-plus scores in first-class cricket by an Indian.
Speaking to the The Field after end of day’s play, Pujara said the record was just a reflection of the hard work he was putting in to improve his game.
“Personally it is a big achievement to surpass some great names,” Pujara said. “Even Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid had around 10 first-class double hundreds to their name. It is an honour and a great achievement,” he added.
The 29-year-old, though, did not want to fixate over the feat, stating that records were fickle and that the focus was always on improving as a cricketer.
“I just want to play my cricket and focus on the game. It is good to surpass some scores but at the same time my focus is to improve as a cricketer and keep scoring runs. Ultimately all these records come and go. As long as I keep scoring runs, this will keep going up. At times you score a 50, at times you score a 100, sometimes you bat well you end up scoring a double hundred, which is the part and parcel of this game,” Pujara said in a telephonic conversation.
‘Records motivate me to do better’
Among Asian players with most double hundreds, only Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara is ahead of Pujara with 13 double tons. However, the world record for most double centuries in first-class cricket is held by Australian legend Sir Don Bradman. He crossed the 200-mark 37 times in his illustrious career.
Pujara takes this record as a sign of motivation to continue building on his successes. “At this stage of my career, I can be proud of my achievements. At times you get to know that you have achieved so much. It is not about feeling happy or satisfied with these records but it motivates me to work even harder and to keep improving as a player. These records tell you the amount of hard work you put in and the results show it,” said Pujara.
The right-handed batsman was not even aware of the record when he reached the double ton. “When I scored my last double hundred, someone did mention it. But then it slipped my mind,” he said.
Away from Test cricket after the Sri Lanka series, Pujara has gone through a rough patch in his last 10 first-class innings, failing to even score a half-century. His sequence of scores read: 18, 34, 28, 4, 0, 14, 12, (Notts County) 35 and 13 (Saurashtra)
“I had been batting well but the game is such that you are playing on tough pitches and you do get out. You are out on 30s and 40s where you should get a 100. So sometimes you do have to accept that you do get a period where you fail. But if you keep following your processes, if you believe in yourself then you shouldn’t worry. I am experienced enough to score big and get runs when the team needs it the most,” said Pujara.
Advantage Saurashtra
Pujara along with Chirag Jani, who scored a brilliant 100, saved Saurashtra from a spot of bother when they were 5/127 in their third Ranji Trophy match of the season. They put on a partnership of 210 to take Saurashtra to 481 before Jani fell to spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.
Before the clash, Pujara never felt the pressure to perform even though he was captain. “I am leading a side which has a lot of potential in it. I actually don’t have to set any example because I have been playing for Saurashtra for so many years and have scored tons of runs for them. There is always a respect for me from all the players. These are players who I have played a lot of cricket [with]. But my teammates were talking about a big score from me and it happened today. They have a lot of confidence in me.”
Pujara stuck to his basics during practice sessions ahead of the clash. As a member of just India’s Test squad, Pujara does not feel the pressure to perform all the time so that his place in the team is secure.
“For me it is always about performing in each and every game I play, whether it is for a club or a first-class game. I always put a prize on my wicket. I make sure that I score enough runs. If I worked hard in the nets then usually you do get your rewards. I am always confident because of my preparation,” said Pujara.
Talking about Ashish Nehra’s retirement, Pujara termed him one of India’s finest left arm bowlers. “He is a hard working cricketer. He had so many injuries in his life but if he was injury-free he would have been a much better bowler for team India and would have served the team for a long time. But regardless of his injuries, he bowled his heart out and took so many wickets. He is one of the best left arm pacers India has produced,” he said.
