Cheteshwar Pujara breaks silence on person who nearly got him dropped in Australia: ‘The name is…’

Cheteshwar Pujara has spoken again about the emotional turmoil he faced during India’s historic 2018/19 Test series win in Australia, a moment that was detailed by his wife Puja in her book The Diary Of A Cricketer’s Wife: A Very Unusual Memoir. Speaking about the book, the couple revealed the intention behind revealing the phone call incident where Pujara accidentally overheard a conversation suggesting he could be dropped from the side. Cheteshwar Pujara during the 2018/19 tour of Australia(Reuters)

Puja said the goal was never to create controversy but to show the kind of composure Pujara maintained in that moment.

“The idea to write that incident was not to describe it. The idea was how he kept his calm and didn’t get affected, showed courage and resilience,” she said. “The one intention wasn’t to malign anyone… The intention was to inspire everybody.”

When asked whether the person mentioned in the book knew about it, Puja added, “I don’t think anyone knows. The purpose is just a 2-line thing and not what has been highlighted.”

Pujara, too, stressed that the episode was never meant to name or shame anyone. “The person’s name is not there in the book for a reason. If we wanted to expose someone… I don’t want to dwell too much into it, yes I was disappointed about what was said,” he said.

“But at the same time, you move on, you look at the bigger picture. When you are representing the country, your job is to win matches for the Indian team.”

What was the incident?

In the book, Puja revealed that Pujara didn't speak about the incident until his birthday after the tour was over. While reading out birthday messages, Puja recalled the cricketer going silent after a certain message was read out, and after being pressed upon, Pujara replied, “‘This guy you’re praising wanted me to be dropped from the team because of fitness issues.’”

During the tour, Pujara produced an impressive performance in the Melbourne Test; however, at the same time, his father was also undergoing heart surgery in Mumbai.

"The next morning, I was up at 3.30 a.m. to inform Cheteshwar that the procedure had been a success. I tried to speak to him in hushed tones, but this ploy was a failure. ‘Go get a double hundred,’ I whispered. Cheteshwar did not get a double ton. He got out caught and bowled by Nathan Lyon for 193 … I was a wee bit disappointed, but perked up when my father-in- law remarked: ‘This is even bigger than a double century. He has done well for his country and the team.’ Coming from a man who was difficult to please, this was a huge compliment!," she wrote.

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