09, Feb 2017 Cheteshwar Pujara breaks 52 years old record
Cheteshwar Pujara breaks 52 years old record; amasses highest runs in calendar year
India's wall, Cheteshwar Pujara becomes the highest run scorer in the calendar year for India, beating the 52 years old record which was there on the name of Chandu Borde. Pujara achieved the feat today on the first day of the test match against Bangladesh in Hyderabad.
Before today's match, Cheteshwar had made 1522 runs in just 12 games and needed 82 more runs to achieve the tag of the highest runs scorer in a calendar year. He made 83 runs and broke the record which was held by Chandu Borde.
Chandu Borde,the trusted middle order batsman had made 1604 runs in 28 innings of 21 matches with the average of 64.16 with six 100s in 1964- 65.
However it was not the first time that Cheteshwar Pujara has threatened to break this record. He in fact came very near to break this record in 2012-13 when he made 1585 runs in a calendar year. In that year too, Pujara was in terrific form. In fact achieved the average 0f 92.23 but he missed the record by just 20 runs.
Always hungry for runs,Pujara began this year with bang scoring runs at will. Not only test matches but in Duleep trophy, Ranji Trophy and even in the Irani Cup match against Ranji Trophy champion, Gujarat, he scored the century which helped to lift the Irani Cup.
On achieving the feat, Arvind Pujara, the coach and father of Cheteshwar Pujara expressed his happiness but said that records are made to be broken.
"Happy to know that he has broken the 52 year old record today but little disappointed that he missed the century which he should have made.”
Besides Pujara and Chandu Borde, there were 7 other batsmen too who have scored more then 1500 runs in a calendar that includes legend Sunil Gavaskar.
FMM Worell had made 1560 runs from 20 games with four centuries in 1950-51.Hanumant Singh made 1556 from just 13 games with five centuries in 1956-57.Wasim Jaffer made 1549 runs with four 100s in 2008-09. A Sandham made 1540 runs from 24 games with 6 100s in 1926- 27. Gundappa Vishvanath made 1538 runs with 4 100s in 1974-75. And Sunil Gavaskar made 1518 runs from 20 games with 4 100s in 1979- 80.
Though Pujara has already broken the 52 year old record but before year ends, he still has one innings against Bangladesh and 4 test matches against Australia and if he continues his current form then he might crossed 2000 runs a calendar year, a record in itself.
-- Suresh Parekh (Sports Journalist)