Rahul Dravid congratulates Chesteshwar Pujara on joining the list of legends
Pujara will become 14th Indian to play 100 Tests
Indian Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara is just two sleeps away from playing his 100th Test match at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium against Australia in the second game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2023).
Since Virender Sehwag, Pujara will become the only third Indian to play 100 Tests. Besides the Saurashtra batter, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma were the only India cricketers from the current crop to play over 100 matches in the longest format.
Talking about the Indian number's three contributions, head coach Rahul Dravid congratulated the 100-Test man - mentioning his talent, resilience and ability to handle both success and failure.
"It’s a big achievement (for Cheteshwar Pujara). You need talent to reach this level. But there are many other things. Playing 100 Tests is a reflection of your longevity. There are a lot of things in it - your fitness, resilience, ability to handle success, failure," the head coach said in the pre-match press conference.
Further in the presser, Dravid spoke about Pujara's journey to the milestone match. Debuted in 2010, the modern-day wall has gone through various wavelengths in his 13-year-long Test career.
"You have to overcome the ups and downs. Various questions are asked of you, on the field and off it. What Pujara has done over the last 13-14 years is something big. It’s a tribute to his skill obviously, but so many other things," the original Wall added.
The Indian head coach also called out Pujara's popularity in the dressing room.
"He is a very popular player in the team, so everyone is happy to see him play 100 Tests. Hopefully not only in this Test match, but upcoming ones as well, he keeps performing really well as he has been doing."
The 35-year-old, who just plays India in the purest format, was on the verge of getting dropped from the team in 2022. However, a successful county stint revived his career.
"In the last decade, he has played some very important knocks for the country to win matches and series for the country. He has been a very important player in the team over the last 13-14 years. We are happy to celebrate this moment with him.
In the last Test, the right-hander started opposite to his usual self, for which he paid as he fell cheaply. However, at Delhi, he would like to contribute to India's cause with runs, making his special match a bit more special.
Statistically, Pujara has enjoyed the most against Australia over the years. In the Test matches, he has scored 1900 runs, averaging 52.77, against the Aussies off just 38 innings.
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