Let them be the new Pujara and the new Kohli

 In Johannesburg, there was a hoarding up in the stands which said ‘Pujara is the new Dravid, Kohli is the new Tendulkar’ and very aptly, this was shown when Dravid himself was on commentary. Dravid’s immediate response was “He is the new Pujara, doesn’t need to be the new Dravid”.  Classic response, and it means a lot too. The same applies to Kohli as well.

Yes, there is every reason to be excited with what Pujara and Kohli have done in their short test career, and especially with their performance in the Johannesburg test. But, these comparisons do no good to the players themselves.  Gavaskar didn’t replace anyone and neither was Tendulkar the new Gavaskar.  You never replace great players and you don’t look to find replacements for greats either. You look for players who fit in certain positions and luckily, India has found a couple of very promising players who are playing in positions previously occupied by two Indian greats.

However, let’s answer this question. Have Pujara and Kohli shown potential to take up positions three and four respectively in the Indian test lineup for a long term? Most definitely, yes. More than the huge second innings partnership, the way these two have taken India from a precarious 24/2 to 70/2 on the first morning(pre-lunch) at Wanderers against the number one pace attack in the world proves this. In my mind, this was the most defining session of the entire test, and India would have lost if not for this partnership.

I am already looking forward to the Durban test.  Steyn and Philander running in hard to India’s young guns is a mouth-watering prospect. Oh, how I wish this was a four-test series?  But, glad that there are three meaningful and testing tours post this for India – New Zealand, England and Australia.  If the sample of Jo’burg is anything to go by, the world can look forward and see if this is the beginning of a new batting era.  I hope it is. Let us all look forward to the new Pujara and the new Kohli. And no, I am not jinxing them.