There's nothing that can beat the charm of some good quality Test cricket! A statement which always rings true whenever India and Australia lock horns for the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Over the last few years, India has been dominating both at home, and in Australia on the back of some great performances against all odds.

Across all these wins, one man has symbolised India’s resilience and the ‘never-give-up’ spirit. In the face of great challenges, he has been as solid as a rock. Cheteshwar Pujara has personified those great performances and given India much needed solidity against a formidable opponent. As India and Australia take on each other in the second Test at Delhi, Pujara marks his 100th appearance in the classical format. 

It has been a special journey, which coincidentally began against Australia in 2010 at Bangalore. On Test debut, he gave a good account of his temperament with a solid half-century in a successful run-chase. In the years ahead, he has been a solid presence at No. 3 with some memorable performances at Johannesburg, Bangalore, Southampton and Colombo to name a few. 

It is fitting that Pujara reaches this coveted milestone against Australia - a team against whom he has delivered consistently. In 38 Test innings against Australia, he has scored 1900 runs. Pujara’s career touched a pinnacle during the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he scored 521 runs in seven innings.Scoring three hundreds in four matches at an average of 74.42, he was instrumental in India winning a series on Australian soil for the first time ever. Two years down the line, he delivered gutsy performances in Australia when India resurrected themselves in the Test series and won it 2-1.

Entering the 100 Test club with 34 fifties, 19 centuries, three double centuries and 7021 runs to his credit, Cheteshwar Pujara is a name which still stands for focus, patience and resilience.

The Gujarat Titans family congratulates Pujara on this great milestone and wishes him more success in the years ahead. 

 

(Note - Statistics in this article are correct as on 16/02/2023)