In 2006, Cheteshwar Pujara finished a district-level game and called his mother, Reena to ask his father, Arvind to pick him up from the Rajkot bus stand. When he arrived at the bus stand, he didn't find his father there, but instead was informed by a relative that his mother had passed away.
Despite enduring physical blows from Australia's pacers and the tragic loss of his mother, Cheteshwar Pujara has a remarkably high pain threshold and unwavering determination. As he approaches his 100th Test, the unassuming Indian cricket player has made his community proud, demonstrating that even quiet introverts can emerge victorious.
"In any sport, 100 matches is no mean feat. You need a lot of dedication and discipline, fitness, proper diet. All these combined help in your longevity in international cricket. And, yes, a bit of luck," Arvind Pujara told PTI during an interaction from his Rajkot residence.
Arvind, who is not only a father but also the sole coach and confidant of his accomplished son, takes great pride in his son's achievements, although he refrains from explicitly expressing it. Cheteshwar, who is now 35, embarked on his 27-year journey as a cricketer when his father, a former Saurashtra first-class player, recognized his potential at the age of eight and began coaching him.
Arvind, also brought his son to Mumbai to seek the advice of former India cricketer and renowned coach, Karsan Ghavri, on whether he should devote more time to his son's development as a player. The answer was affirmative, and the unremarkable Railway Colony ground bore witness to a pivotal moment in history.
"When I started off (coaching Cheteshwar), there was no target as such in mind and also it is not fair to assume anything. But, yes, he was very hardworking from the start and the discipline paid him dividends," Arvind bhai, who played six first-class games in the mid and late 70s said.
When discussing Cheteshwar's abilities as a cricketer, his mental fortitude is often the first thing that comes to mind. During the process of writing a cricket book that included a chapter on Cheteshwar, there was a discussion with his father Arvind, who recounted how his son, as a teenager, had internalized the tragedy of his mother's passing and did not cry in either private or public settings. Instead, he simply became silent.
"He never cried and just went quiet. He went to play an age-group game in Mumbai and I had to tell the team coach to keep an eye on him as I was worried," Pujara senior had said back then. When Arvind bhai was asked to revisit those times, there was a tinge of emotion in his voice. It was a difficult period. You can never replace a mother, however hard you may try," Pujara senior said. However, at a young age, Cheteshwar did have a spiritual streak in him and that probably helped him in his steely resolve.
"My late wife's Guruji, Haracharan Das ji Maharaj, took a lot of care of him. Also, his aunt, who cooked food for Guruji and stayed in that ashram also took care of my son. I won't say that only I am instrumental in shaping him; his Guruji did play a massive role in his mental make-up and development," there was a lot of gratitude in his voice.
While physical pain can be endured to an extent with the available remedies, but what about the silent sufferings of the heart, for which there is no panacea? "Body ka pain toh dikhta hain, lekin andruni chot, dil ka chot dikhta nahi (One can tell if somebody is in physical pain, but how does one see the emotional turmoil?" Arvind bhai said. But, then, he revealed a secret of how his son's pain endurance increased over the years. A doctor friend of mine when he (Cheteshwar) was just starting out had advised him, 'Don't take painkillers when you get hurt. Painkillers don't heal injuries quickly and the body takes time to heal. You saw him take those 11 blows on the ribs, knuckles and forearm during that Test in Australia," said Arvind as one could gauge his heart swelling with pride.
But how did he handle emotional pain? Arvind bhai had another beautiful childhood story of his son. "As a kid, he was hooked to video games and would always want to play. His mom would then keep a condition. 'If you pray for 10 minutes, then I will allow you to play video games', she would tell Cheteshwar.
"Now, I as a father didn't like that method as I thought it was a sort of 'blackmailing'. I even had arguments with my wife that if you want to let him play video games, just say 'yes' and if you don't then simply say, No. In the beginning, she didn't tell me anything. But some days later she explained why she did that. I want our son to have faith in God. If he prays every day for even 10 minutes, when he grows up and is in a difficult situation, the prayer would help him. Cheteshwar became spiritual, that habit helped him and no university in the world can teach you (that) other than a mother."
Cheteshwar has achieved three double-hundreds in Test cricket and multiple triple-hundreds at the first-class level. When he received his initial cricket training from his father in the late 1990s, the Indian Premier League was nothing. Therefore, when you observe him confidently executing a step-out shot against Nathan Lyon and driving the ball to the left or right of the mid-on fielder, expertly slicing through the grass, it is a testament to the hours he spent mastering his fundamental skills on the modest Rajkot field.
"When I started teaching him the basics of cricket, there was no IPL. At the age of 13, he scored a triple hundred in a BCCI U-14 tournament back in the day. I told him that the 50s and 60s had no value. If you want to get noticed, score hundreds and double hundreds," said Pujara senior.
So, which one of Cheteshwar's 19 Test hundreds is his favourite?
"Well, each hundred had a different context, a different backdrop and the need of the team was different. So it is not easy to say. Did he perform the role given to him by the team? If he did, then it counts. For me, when he opened his account after 53 dot balls in South Africa, that also had immense value. It was what the situation demanded."
Arvind, along with Cheteshwar's wife Puja, and daughter Aditi, will be in attendance at the Ferozshah Kotla on Friday to witness the historic occasion and no one is more deserving of this experience.
Pujara meets PM Modi
Cheteshwar Pujara met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and presented him a bouquet. The cricketer later posted images on social media and wrote he would cherish the interaction with the PM ahead of his 100th Test.
"It was an honour to meet our Hon. Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. I will cherish the interaction and encouragement ahead of my 100th Test.
Thank you," tweeted Pujara.
(Inputs PTI)
