A biographical account traditionally depicts the journey of a cricketer, from the lens of the biographer. The perspective and presentation becomes the key. But what happens if that biographer happens to be your wife? The idea in itself is novel and exciting. In “The Diary of a cricketer’s wife”, Puja documents Pujara’s cricketing journey along with the journey of those around him, adding a perspective which is not commonly found to be read in cricket biographies.
The story begins with how Puja and Pujara first met, a coming together of people from two contrasting worlds. The narrative seamlessly oscillates between the professional and personal worlds of the Pujara family. Pujara’s early days struggles have been detailed with utmost sincerity. Playing cricket professionally comes with its own set of challenges and the authors have managed to carve out a very intimate and personal account of what it takes to be a family of an international cricketer.
With a person like Pujara - for whom words are scant and expressions limited, it would have been hard for an unassociated person to extract the kind of details Puja has managed to do in the book. The tiny behavioral traits, husband-wife banter and the evolving inter-personal relationships throughout his career - all makes for a compelling read. Co-authored by Namita Kala, the writing is simple, yet the words carry emotional heft to them.
The two Border Gavaskar Trophy (s) stand tall in Pujara’s career. The 2018 tour saw Pujara’s obsession for scoring massive runs. In 2021, it was about grit, fight and never giving up - adjectives that got affixed with Pujara for life. A cricket fan was left astounded. A non-cricket fan could not believe that a human mind and body was capable of taking so much pain. The passages on this series and Pujara’s performance will leave you thrilled.
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While the book addresses the issue of Pujara’s strike rate, it doesn’t offer any inputs or Pujara’s take on it. The book reveals how Pujara felt dismayed being labeled as a Test specialist, always wanting to explore other formats as well. Disappointed but not the one to cave in, Pujara played wherever and whenever he got the opportunity. Be it County or Indian domestic cricket, the nature of the series or format was not the one to stop him from playing.
The prose is fast-paced and engaging. Some chapters feel like a cozy conversation. The book doesn’t dwell deep into statistics and recordz and instead focuses on the human story. Unintentionally in those pages you will also discover the dynamics of flexibility and adjustability in relationships.
The subtitle of the book describes it as “An Unusual Memoir”. The same holds true for Pujara, an unusual cricketer - secured, detached and unfazed. His journey is deeply inspiring and the way he has navigated setbacks is a lesson for the upcoming cricketers.
I would like to close this review with a quote by him:
“I’m happy to play the game whenever or wherever I get the opportunity, because it is something I love.”
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