From the pitch: looking back at the sporting journeys of three Indian batters

The Hindu

17 hours ago

To play cricket for India is an honour that is accorded to a handful. To do so for more than a decade and be remembered for their deeds on the big stage is a monumental accomplishment that even fewer can take pride in. To undertake this arduous journey to the pinnacle of the sport requires an abundance of skill, sacrifice, hard work, hunger, dedication and discipline. As well as perhaps a slice of luck and serendipity.
A poignant reminder of the challenges involved in carving a long and successful career for India has come by virtue of recent books chronicling the lives of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara.
For the best part of the 2010s, a period where India's status as a dominant cricketing power grew exponentially, these three formed the bedrock of the batting unit along with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, although not in the same formats. Rohit and Dhawan forged an extremely successful opening combination in the 50-over game while Pujara enshrined himself as India's No. 3 in Tests. Among the three, only Rohit gained recognition across all formats with the passage of time.
The three books meticulously recount their successes and setbacks on the playing field.
They also help us grasp the strenuous efforts in the early years that went into each of them, possessing distinctly varied personalities and playing styles, rising up the ranks from their respective cities and capturing a place in the hearts of a cricket-crazy country.
Chronicling the rise of Rohit
The Rise of the Hitman: The Rohit Sharma Story (Rupa) by R. Kaushik pieces together the story of a boy from the bustling metropolis of Mumbai who matured into one of India's great openers and captains. In the introductory section, Kaushik writes: 'Whether he likes it or not, he is already a legend — a status cemented after he led India to the T20 World Cup crown in Bridgetown.' To back up the 2024 triumph by lifting the Champions Trophy title in March this year, the image of which adorns the book cover, means he is one of only two Indian captains — the other is M.S. Dhoni — to win two ICC trophies.
While the book doesn't encompass the protagonist's account, Kaushik, a senior journalist who has extensively covered the 38-year-old's international career right from its infancy, does a fine job of documenting Rohit's rise and career. There are compelling insights and anecdotes from many of Rohit's confidants, colleagues and coaches, including Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Anil Kumble, Yuvraj Singh and Ajit Agarkar among others.
In the early pages, the author traces Rohit's initiation into the game at the age of 12 as an off-spinner, and the rapid transition to a batting prodigy catching the attention of the who's who of Indian cricket. He was called up to the Mumbai nets at around 17, and took just another three years to don the India jersey.
While he swiftly sparkled with his languid strokeplay in India's triumph in the inaugural 2007 World T20, setbacks were in store as Rohit navigated the cut-throat environment of international cricket. Two major ones were an injury on the morning of what should have been his Test debut against South Africa in 2010 and his omission from India's ODI World Cup squad a year later.
The snub from the 50-over spectacle spurred Rohit to put things right. All the decisive moments of Rohit's journey are narrated in detail: the move to open the batting, hitting a record five centuries in the 2019 ODI World Cup, his legacy as a leader, the agony of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final at home and the ecstasy of winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Dhawan's memoir
Rohit's former opening partner, Dhawan, tells his story in The One: Cricket, My Life and More (HarperCollins), with co-authors Chandresh Narayanan and Namita Kala.
Apart from elaborating on his achievements on the cricket field, the treatise throws light on Dhawan's life experiences and convivial nature. He is also candid about his troubled marriage and separation with Aesha Mukerji.
True to his character, the book has numerous anecdotes that bring a chuckle. Like the bit on how his 'Gabbar' moniker was given to him by a teammate because he rattled off the dialogues of the iconic character from Sholay while fielding at silly point during a domestic match for Delhi. There are also startling revelations about being approached to fix matches twice in his career, first in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League and then during the IPL. He dealt with it promptly and dutifully in both instances.
On how he would want to be remembered, Dhawan notes: 'A man who played with heart, who smiled through his battles, who didn't complicate life.'
Pujara's story
At the other end of the spectrum is Pujara, both in demeanour and style of play. And the book pertaining to the 37-year-old is a unique offering, for his wife Puja has turned author to tell his story from a partner's outlook.
The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife (HarperCollins), co-written with Namita Kala, is an engaging read that depicts not just the struggles and sacrifices of the ace batter in acquiring prominence, but also of supportive family members.
For example, on the morning of a Test in Perth during India's tour of Australia in 2018-19, Pujara's father suffered a heart issue in the wee hours in Rajkot for the second time in three months. Puja discloses how she and other relatives sprung into action and rushed the senior Pujara to hospital. They didn't keep the junior Pujara in the know until the end of the Test so that his focus didn't waver from the challenge of conquering the Australian bowlers.
Puja is also forthcoming on the feeling of hurt and anger that festered inside her when her husband was dropped from India's Test team in 2023. 'I was outraged! And overwhelmed. Upset by the latest turn of events, I found it difficult to wrap my head round the fact that Cheteshwar was once again expected to shoulder the sole blame for India's defeat,' she writes.
Such passages remind us that these elite cricketers and their families, for all their stupendous efforts on and off the field, are human at the end of the day.