Cheteshwar’s father, Arvind Pujara, opined on his son’s journey as Cheteshwar Pujara is on the verge of becoming the 13th Indian to reach a century of Tests after playing 99 Tests, smashing 7021 runs with 19 centuries, and 34 half-centuries as well. He also recalls that his son never cried and just went quiet after hearing about the untimely death of his mother at the age of 16.
“In any sport, 100 matches is no mean feat. You need a lot of dedication and discipline, fitness, and a proper diet. All these combined help in your longevity in international cricket. And, yes, a bit of luck,” Arvind Pujara was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. “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.”
He further added, “He never cried and just went quiet. In fact, 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.”
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The veteran has also shared that Cheteshwar Pujara did have a spiritual streak in him and that also helped him in his early stage to grow like strong.
“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.”
He also revealed that one of his doctor’s advice was to not take painkillers to get rid of the pain as well.
“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 bhai, as one could gauge his heart swelling with pride.
He also revealed an interesting incident of Cheteshwar Pujara when he was a kid.
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“As a kid, he was hooked on 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 game, just say ‘yes’ and if you don’t then plain and simple 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 everyday 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,” concluded the father of Cheteshwar Pujara.
