India vs Australia: Cheteshwar Pujara receives special cap from Sunil Gavaskar in 100th Test

New Delhi: Cheteshwar Pujara was presented with a special cap to commemorate his 100th Test match at New Delhi on Friday. The Indian batter was handed the cap which had ‘100’ written on it by legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Pujara, 35, was also presented with plaques by BCCI secretary Jay Shah and Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley ahead of the second Test between India and Australia.

Congratulations on making your 100th Test appearance for Team India, @cheteshwar1. It is a very special and proud moment. Keep giving your best for the country. pic.twitter.com/mN7RZeDvsB

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 17, 2023

Pujara is the 13th Indian player to reach the 100 matches milestone in Tests. Others on this list are Sachin Tendulkar (200), Rahul Dravid (163), VVS Laxman (134), Anil Kumble (132), Kapil Dev (131), Sunil Gavaskar (125), Dilip Vengsarkar (116), Sourav Ganguly (113), Virat Kohli (106*), Ishant Sharma (105), Harbhajan Singh (103), Virendra Sehwag (103).

Cheteshwar Pujara’s six 300s
306* (540m, 516b, 36f) for Saurashtra U14 Jan 2001 (aged 12)
386 for SauU22 Oct 2008
309 for SauU22 Oct 2008 (back-to-back)
302* for Sau v Ori Nov 2008 (3rd inside 30 days!)
352 for Sau v K’taka in Jan 2013
306* for India A v WI-A in Oct 2013#INDvAUS

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) February 17, 2023

“Each and every player has different style. What I have learnt in all these years is to stick to your strengths and you need to back that and I have added few shots to my game in last couple of years and continuing to grow as a cricketer,” he said on the eve of the second Australia Test.

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Pujara made his Test debut against Australia in Bengaluru in 2010 where he scored 4 and 72 runs in a winning effort. He took over Rahul Dravid’s spot in the Test lineup after ‘The Wall’s’ retirement.

“The 72 versus Australia on debut. May be I wouldn’t have played Tests if I wouldn’t have scored those runs. The second innings hundred at Johannesburg in 2014, my first century outside the sub-continent,” he recalled as his memorable knocks.

“The 92 at Chinnaswamy against Australia in 2017, the 123 at Adelaide in 2018-19 series and 56 at Gabba, when I was hit multiple times on the body,” he added.

Pujara has scored 7,021 runs in 99 Tests for the Indian cricket team, averaging 44.15 runs per game with 19 hundreds and 34 fifties with a best of 206 not out against England at Ahmedabad in 2012.

The Saurashtra batter sits seventh in India’a all–time list of players with most hundreds – only behind Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Azharuddin.

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