AUS v IND 2018-19: Pujara’s father unable to watch his son’s Sydney masterclass owing to a heart procedure

Pujara scored a glorious 193 in the fourth and final Test against Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.

Pujara acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the ground after being dismissed for 193 in Sydney | Getty

India’s seasoned Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is having a wonderful series against Australia. He is the top-scorer in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy with 521 runs at an average of 74.72, including three centuries.

Pujara has batted for a record 1258 deliveries in the ongoing Test series which is the most by an Indian batsman in a Test series down under, surpassing Rahul Dravid's previous record of 1203 balls in the 2003-04 series in Australia.

Having led India to two historic Test victories at Adelaide and Melbourne in this series, Pujara scored a glorious 193 in the fourth and final Test at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. His 373-ball marathon knock was near flawless as he walked out to a standing ovation from the capacity SCG crowd.

But his father Arvind, who has been Pujara’s batting coach since childhood, couldn’t watch his son’s epic knock owing to some health issues. As per a report in The Indian Express, Pujara’s father had flown to Mumbai from Rajkot on Day 1 of the Sydney Test and underwent a heart procedure, cardiac catheterisation to regularize the heart’s rhythm.

“I have been hearing people praise my son from across the world. It’s very heartening, if anybody had any doubt about his batting it’s all cleared. I will go home watch the replays,” Arvind was quoted as saying.

“Our doctor had called him [Pujara] and told him that it wasn’t wise to delay the procedure. They had a long chat, and once he was convinced we went ahead,” he added.

Pujara has continuously frustrated the Australian bowlers with solid defence and staunch approach. The opposition bowlers haven’t been able to suppress him throughout the series.

Reflecting on his special knock, Pujara on Friday said that he spoke to his father after the innings.

“He congratulated me. People said I missed out on a double hundred but he said you still scored 193 and double hundred is just a number,” the Indian batsman told Australian broadcaster Mark Howard.

“When I was 8, my father started coaching me, he was a Railway employee. He used to bowl to me when I started and he has played first-class cricket so that experience helps. He made sure that the kind of bowlers I was facing since a young age, I knew how to handle pace. He made sure I faced pace and that helps,” Pujara said while recalling his early days.

“It is about the way you practice and prepare. Whenever I practice with my father, he tells me you can’t get out in the nets because that becomes a habit. I try to play well in the nets to get good habits.”

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 05 Jan, 2019

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