County experience should come in handy for Cheteshwar Pujara

With Cheteshwar Pujara turning out for Derbyshire, he has become the latest Indian to feature in county cricket. Over the years, numerous Indians have utilised the opportunity to improve their skills, and have gone on to become better international players. The list includes major name like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble among others. Similarly, Pujara would be hoping that his county stint will help him go on to achieve better things in international cricket. In the aftermath of the England debacle, he definitely has a point to prove to his critics.
First things first, Pujara deserves a lot of praise for not sitting back and ruing his terrible performance in England. On the contrary, he decided to stay back in England and hone his skills, which were found out in moving conditions. No one would have complained had Pujara returned to India following his dismal showing. It had been a gruelling tour for him, like most others. But, he was not part of the shorter formats, so he could have returned to India and relaxed with his family. However, the fact that he chose to stay back and play domestic cricket proves his commitment to the game.
Although he has been part of many A tours abroad, his failure in England was a clear indication of the fact that he hadn't gained enough expertise to take on the Englishmen in their own backyard. Country cricket is one step ahead of A tours, and Pujara has taken the painstaking but right step of turning out for Derbyshire. And, the 90 and the maiden hundred he has scored for them following his poor start is a sign of his improving confidence. Unlike A tours, where a number of players are rookies, county cricket features many veterans, which aid youngsters like Pujara in their overall progress. India's number three will become hoping the same happens for him.
Hopefully, the next time India faces England in England, Pujara would be better prepared to deal with the tough English conditions. Of course, only playing county cricket cannot overturn his game. He needs to learn from his experience in English conditions, and implement changes for the better in the future. One aspect of his game that was noticeable during the England Tests was how fragile he was outside the outside the off-stump. For someone thought to possess a wonderful technique, his dismissals were nothing short of shocking. But, just like his county stint, the Tests were a learning curve for Pujara.
Having gained some vital experience in alien conditions, Pujara would now be hoping for better performances in international cricket. India's next assignment is a rather easy home series against the struggling West Indies. In that sense, Pujara's growth as a Test batsman cannot be judged based on that series. It would be when India visit Australia towards the end of the year that India's number three would be actually tested. Of course, the conditions there would be drastically different to those in England. Still, considering the quality of opponents, and the surfaces on offer, we would get a fair idea of the improvements in Pujara's game.
--By A Cricket Analyst