Border-Gavaskar Trophy: India coach Rahul Dravid lauded Cheteshwar Pujara’s fitness, talent and ability to handle success and failures ahead of the India star’s landmark 100th Test.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 15, 2023 17:50 IST
Cheteshwar Pujara’s 100th Test is happy moment for his India teammates: Rahul Dravid (AP Photo)
By India Today Web Desk: India head coach Rahul Dravid paid tribute to Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of his landmark 100th Test, saying that the star Indian batter is popular in the current Indian team and everyone is happy for him. Dravid hailed Pujara’s fitness, talent, and ability to handle success and failures while adding that completing a century of Tests is a reflection of his longevity.
Pujara, who made his Test debut against Australia in 2010, will become only the 13th Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests when he takes the field for India in the second of the ongoing four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series on Friday, February 17 in New Delhi.
“Playing 100 Tests is a very big achievement for any cricketer. You definitely need the talent to achieve such a landmark, but many more things are required to achieve the feat. Playing 100 Tests is a reflection of your longevity. Your fitness, resilience, and ability to handle success and failure. Because if you have played 100 Tests, it is not possible that you have not seen the ups and downs. You have to face different bowling attacks, and various questions are asked on the field and off the field,” Rahul Dravid told reporters in a press conference ahead of the second Test.
Pujara, one of the most important players in the Indian Test set-up for the last 13-14 years, has also produced innumerable match-winning and series-deciding knocks for this country. With 7021 runs at 44.15, 19 hundred, and 34 half-centuries, Pujara has a stellar record in 99 Test matches. Dravid reflected on Pujara’s achievements and said that he is hopeful that the star batter will continue to perform in a similar manner for many more years.
“It takes at least 10 years to play 100 Tests. Pujara did it. It has taken him 13-14 years to reach the milestone. It’s a tribute to his skill, a tribute to so many other things as I have mentioned. And he is a very popular player in the team, so everyone is very happy that Pujara is playing his 100th Test. I am hopeful that Pujara will perform in not only this Test but also in the coming future as he has done for India. If you look at the last decade, Cheteshwar Pujara has played many important knocks for this country that have helped the team win many matches and series. He has been a very important player in this Indian Test team for the last 13-14 years,” Dravid added.
On Friday, Cheteshwar’s father Arvind Pujara, wife Puja and daughter Aditi will be present at the Arun Shah Jaitley Stadium to savour the momentous occasion against Australia.