ENG Vs IND, 2018: Batsmen Need to Understand the Balance - Sachin Tendulkar

In the last couple of years or so, Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has been one of India’s most consistent performers in the longest format of the game. The 29-year-old enjoyed a highly successful home season in 2016-17 which consisted of as many as 13 Tests.

Top-order batsman finished the mammoth 2016-17 home season as India’s highest run-getter, amassing a staggering 1,316 runs which included four hundreds and eight half-centuries.

However, his form played an integral part in India’s series win over New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia respectively at home.

Unlike most of the players of this generation, Pujara’s games is based on caution and doggedness. It is an approach that has helped him carve his own niche and draw widespread praise.

But, the same philosophy has also earned him criticism. It’s unusual for a Test batsman to be criticised for going slow in the middle, but Pujara’s has been an exception.

Earlier this year, he scored 50 off 179 balls against South Africa in the third Test. He had taken 53 balls to get off the mark and was criticised from several quarters. Recently, he consumed 70 balls to get off the mark in a county game for Yorkshire.

And now former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has criticised Pujara’s approach with the bat. The batting legend stopped short of making any big comment but made his mindset pretty much clear.

“It’s far too much. Again, I’m not trying to be critical here. It’s good to be cautious, good to respect the conditions, but,” he told The Times of India.

At the same time, Sachin acknowledged Pujara’s strength as number three in Test cricket relied on wearing down the opposition. That quality, Tendulkar feels, is a good weapon.

“(But) there needs to be a good deal of balance between wearing down the opposition and tearing them down. Batsmen need to understand that balance,” said Tendulkar.

Sachin Tendulkar also said that a batsman shouldn’t be drawing conclusions from the way his teammate bats in the middle.

“Use your own discretion, follow your own judgment. When I used to be in the dressing room, waiting for my turn to walk out to bat, I never went by what was happening to the batsmen on the field,” he said.