Through the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here, top-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara entered an elite list of playing 100 Test matches for the country, becoming the 13th Indian player to reach the milestone.
Ahead of day one’s play on Friday, legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar felicitated Pujara with a heartwarming speech in the presence of the Test team as well as the right-handed batter’s father Arvind, wife Puja and daughter Aditi.
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“When we are playing as kids growing up, we all, whether we are playing at home, in streets or maidans, we all dream to play for India. When we play a Test for India, it’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s a heady feeling which you want to do over and over again. To be able to do that, you need to do a lot of hard work, plenty of determination, self-belief, lift yourself up from lean periods and then focus on getting the job done.”
“When you come out to bat, it is not just the bat you are carrying along with you, but you are taking the India flag with you. When you go out to bat, you put your body on the line for India. You have taken blows, you have got up and you have made the bowlers earn your wicket. Every single run made by you has been a big, big plus for India.”
“You are a role model for what determination, self-belief and dreams can do. Many congratulations to you on getting the 100th Test match and welcome to the 100 Test matches club and I wish and pray that you become the first Indian to score a big hundred in your hundredth Test match and lay foundation for yet another win here in Delhi. Congratulations and all the very best,” said Gavaskar in his speech to Pujara, and presented him with a special cap to mark the occasion of playing his 100th Test match.
Since his Test debut in October 2010 which ironically came in the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Pujara has emerged to be a mainstay in India’s batting order in the longest format of the game. As of now, Pujara has played 99 Tests, amassing 7021 runs while averaging 44.15, including 19 centuries and 34 half-centuries.
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