Never thought will play 100 Test matches: Cheteshwar Pujara on his 100th Test's eve
Pujara in nets with head coach on eve of Delhi Test
Current Indian batting wall Cheteshwar Pujara is all set to become the 13th cricketer from his country to play 100 Test matches during the second fixture of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Delhi.
Pujara may not start the series well, but his legacy is no less than any Indian of the current setup.
In his 13-year-long Test career, the Saurashtra batter has amassed 7021 runs in the longest format of the game, at an average healthy average of 44.16 with 19 centuries and 34 half-centuries to his name.
However, playing 100 Test matches is much more than any milestone; however, the Indian number three considers it as any other fixture. While talking about his milepost game and elite career, Pujara, in a press conference ahead of the Delhi fixture, said:
"When I started playing cricket and made my debut, I never thought of playing 100 Test matches. So for me, it's always being in the present and not thinking too far ahead. So it was in the last game or (I better say) before this series started that I realised I was playing my 100th Test match.
The 35-year-old, who redeemed his career with his county stint last year, talked about the ups and downs he has been through.
"In a career, you always go through ups and downs and have to fight through those periods, but I never thought I'd play 100 Test matches. That was never my goal. I have always been a player who needs to do well in each and every game and in each and every series."
Pujara enjoys the most against Australia as he has the most success against them in the purest form of the game. He has scored 1900 runs, averaging 52.77 and scoring 5 hundreds & 10 fifties against them.
"They have a good fighting spirit, no matter the game's situation. They will always challenge you as an opponent. So, I never get free runs whenever I go out to bat. I never get easier against Australia. I always have to work my way out."
"I always really hard for those runs, and they play as a unit. They are always vocal on the field. So there is a little bit of banter and chat going on sometimes that motivates me a bit more because I'm not someone who will try and talk back at them," he added.
"But the best thing you can do as a cricketer is to score runs and let the back do the talking. So yeah, they have been challenging opposition, and yeah, I've had good success, but we always enjoy this challenge," he concluded.
The right-hander will look to continue his run-scoring streak against the visitors to make his landmark game special. The second Test between India and Australia will begin on Friday (February 17).
 "Arjun Bhalla")