Top 3 Test innings of Cheteshwar Pujara: The 29-year old Saurashtra batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara, unlike many other cricketers, plays only in one format of the game. He plays (and excels) in the longer version and ‘makes a mark’ too.
Pujara was billed to be the next ‘Wall’ after Rahul Dravid, and has also lived upto that expectation, more often than not.
With a tally of 3,798 runs from 81 Test innings (unbeaten on seven occasions), at an impressive average of 51.32 with 11 centuries and 15 half-centuries definitely justifies the ‘Wall’ tag given to him.
Team India definitely needs a tough guy at No 3 slot which is a very critical position, given the fact that the openers still lack in consistency.
Let us look into his top 3 Test innings:
- 206* in the first innings against England at Ahmedabad in 2012
The first of the four-Test series against England was played at Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, between 15th and 19th November, 2012. India electing to bat, lost their first wicket in the form of Gautam Gambhir, who scored 45 runs but put up an opening stand of 134 runs alongwith his dashing opening partner Virendra Sehwag.
Thereafter what followed was a ‘run feast’ as Pujara, who had joined Sehwag, added a very valuable 90 runs for the second wicket, before Sehwag was consumed by Graeme Swann but not before he had notched up 117 runs.
After losing Sachin Tendulkar (13) and Virat Kohli (19) pretty cheaply, Pujara combined with Yuvraj Singh (74) to add 110 runs for the fifth wicket. Pujara’s half-century came in 67 balls with the help of 6 fours while his century took 119 balls and was aided by 13 hits to the fence.
Pujara’s 150 runs was made in 299 deliveries, studded with 18 boundaries. His maiden double-ton was achieved facing 374 deliveries, sending the red-cherry 21 times to the ropes.
After adding another 66 runs for the seventh-wicket alongwith Ravichandran Ashwin (23) and running out of partners, Pujara remained unbeaten on a well made 206* runs off 389 deliveries with the help of 21 fours in a stay of 513 minutes at the crease.
Pujara also notched up another unbeaten 41* runs in the second innings. Eventually India won the game by 9 wickets.
Pujara was awarded the Player of the Match award.
- 204 in the first innings against Australia at Hyderabad in 2013
The second Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2012-13 played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad, saw another classic innings played by Cheteshwar Pujara.
Electing to bat, the Aussies’ first innings folded up with 237 runs on the board. Only skipper, Michael Clarke (91) and the wicket-keeper, Mathew Wade (62) made contributions worth mentioning.
For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 3 wickets each.
Losing Virendra Sehwag (6) very early in the innings, Pujara and Murli Vijay combined together to add 370 runs for the second wicket. While Vijay scored 167 runs, Cheteshwar Pujaraplayed an innings of 450 minutes, faced 34 deliveries and notched up his second Test double-ton.
Pujara’s century came in 188 balls with 14 hits to the fence. While his 150 runs came off 230 deliveries with the help of 24 fours and a six, his double-ton took 332 balls aided by 30 fours and a solitary six.
In an innings panning 450 minutes, facing 34 deliveries, Cheteshwar Pujara ended up scoring 204 runs studded with 30 hits to the fence and one beyond before he was superbly caught by a diving Xavier Doherty, while trying to negotiate a bouncer aimed at his head by James Pattinson.
The huge partnership between Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara helped India pile up 503 runs and take a vital lead of 266 runs in the first innings. Making ‘short work’ of the Aussies in their second knock, India went on to win the game by an innings and 135 runs.
Cheteshwar Pujara was awarded the Player of the Match award.
- 202 in the first innings against Australia at Ranchi in 2017
Cheteshwar Pujara played yet another stellar innings and registered his third Test double-hundred while playing against Australia in the third-Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017, played at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi. This stadium made its ‘Test debut’ with this encounter.
Once again electing to bat, Aussies managed to put up 451 runs in their first innings, duly aided by great innings played by their skipper, Steven Smith (178*) and Glenn Maxwell (104). For India, Ravindra Jadeja picked up five wickets while Umesh Yadav accounted for three.
After a reasonably good start given by the young KL Rahul (67) and Murali Vijay, the first-wicket partnership yielding 91 runs, Pujara and Vijay once again got together to add a very valuable 102 runs for the second wicket, while Vijay got out, stumped by Mathew Wade off Steve O’Keefe.
Pujara held up one end while the wickets of Virat Kohli (6), Ajinkya Rahane (14), Karun Nair (23) and Ravi Ashwin (3) fell at the other end.
Wicket-keeper, Wriddhiman Saha, who then joined Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle, kept company with him and the duo added a massive 199 runs for the seventh-wicket.
Being out at the crease for a monumental 672 minutes, facing 525 deliveries, hitting 21 fours, Cheteshwar Pujara registered 202 runs. His hundred came in 214 balls with 14 fours and his double-century came after facing a massive 521 balls with 21 boundaries.
Cheteshwar Pujara had exhibited a ‘load of patience’ hanging around in the middle and played the longest innings, by an Indian batsman, in terms of number of deliveries faced. He surpassed the previous record of Rahul Dravid who scored 270 runs, facing 495 deliveries against Pakistan in 2004.
The Test match ended in a draw and Cheteshwar Pujara was awarded the Player of the Match award.
Following records stand in the name of Cheteshwar Pujara:
Cheteshwar Pujara passed 2,000 runs in a year. He has scored 2,043 runs at 102.15 in first-class matches in 2013. Only Chris Rogers with 2,391 runs at 48.79 from 28 matches has made more in 2013.
Cheteshwar Pujara”s 222-run partnership with Virat Kohli is India”s third highest in South Africa and their highest in the second innings of a Test in South Africa.
Second fastest 1,000 test runs by Indian player.
Highest second innings score of 153 by any Indian batsmen in South Africa.
Most balls faced by an Indian in a test innings -525
Pujara climbed to a career-best number 2 spot in the rankings for Test batsmen his double century against Australia in March 2017.
stats credit : Rajesh Khilare