Cheteshwar Pujara, who made his Test debut against Australia in Bengaluru in 2010, is playing his 100th Test against the same opponent in the second Test on Friday in New Delhi
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Cheteshwar Pujara’s batting is reminiscent of bygone periods, not so much in technique (he is unusually bottom-handed for someone who makes a living from Test cricket) as in character. Pujara is a rare successful defensive batsman in an era of counterattacking batters who enjoys wearing down assaults and then feasting on them. He switches to spinners but keeps the ball on the carpet; he never gets tired of scoring runs regardless of the opposition or location; and his conditioning is focused on what is necessary for lengthy periods of batting rather than huge biceps with tattoos.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who made his Test debut against Australia in Bengaluru in 2010, is playing his 100th Test against the same opponent in the second Test on Friday in New Delhi. The 35-year-old batsman will become India’s 13th Test century player. “Firstly, I would like to congratulate Pujara for making it to the 100th Test match for the country. It’s a big achievement, not many people go on to achieve what you have done for your country,” skipper Rohit said.
“Puji from the first time that I have seen you or played against you was in a Ranji Trophy match where you scored runs and you beat Karnataka that’s become a recurring theme I think but it’s been a pleasure to just watch you evolve over the last 10 years,” said Dravid. “This is a very special day for a very very special guy. Puji congratulations on your 100th Test. It’s a big occasion not just for you but for your family, for the people who have supported you throughout your journey and it’s a big achievement to play for India for so long that’s why you made it to 100th Tests,” said Virat Kohli, who also played his 100th Test last year.
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Pujara, the son and disciple of former Ranji player Arvind, began his career with a triple-century in Under-14 cricket and a double versus England in Under-19 cricket. Pujara’s first-class scores were mocked for years: he played for cricketing backwaters Saurashtra, and Rajkot, his hometown, is famed for having one of the flattest surfaces in India. Pujara fought harder than others to be taken seriously, and his first-class debut came in his sixth year, trailing contemporaries who had made a reputation for themselves via limited-overs cricket.
After being out to a shooter in his maiden Test innings, Pujara stepped in ahead of Rahul Dravid at No. 3 and waltzed his way to a magnificent 72 in a difficult chase against Australia in Bangalore in October 2010. He quickly established himself as the joint-fastest Indian to 1000 Test runs. Everyone stopped laughing when he hit his second domestic triple. The journey was not easy: a knee operation effectively ended his limited-overs career, and he was repeatedly dropped from the Test side in favour of flashier batsmen until he proved his worth to a Test squad with immaculate defensive batting in India’s historic first series win in Australia in 2018-19.
