[WATCH] When Young Cheteshwar Pujara Scored Majestic 135 Against England

image-lrrq0rhgCheteshwar Pujara celebrating his third Test century (BCCI)

Batting barnacle Cheteshwar Pujara continues to find himself on the sidelines of India’s Test side. Once a heavyweight of India’s famed batting line-up, the cricketer played the last of his 103 Test matches back in June 2023 against Australia at The Oval.

His lacklustre returns from the past couple of Test seasons aside, Pujara remains one of India’s most prolific batters in format’s history. The middle-order stalwart packed a series of splendid batting exhibitions in Australia, which result in India’s twin series wins ‘Down Under’ in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

Interestingly, Pujara displayed first signs of his brilliance back during the initial phase of his international career itself, especially when he punched out successive centuries against England at Ahmedabad and Mumbai in the space of a week in November 2012.

Here at OneCricket, we take a look back at the time when a 25-year-old Cheteshwar Pujara frustrated a visiting English attack at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium with a composed 135-run knock.

When Pujara led India’s recovery against ENG

Team India, under MS Dhoni, hosted England back in November 2012 for a four-match Test series. Off the back of Cheteshwar Pujara’s sublime 206* at Ahmedabad, India trounced England by nine wickets to take a 1-0 lead.

Later in the same week, Pujara led India’s batting charge once again, this time for a rescue act as he listed a well-composed 135 after arriving to the crease within the opening over of the first morning of the match. While he firmly guarded one end of the crease, he kept losing partners from the other as Team India soon slumped to 169-7 by the final session of the day.

Pujara eventually found an abled partner in Ravichandran Ashwin, as their 111-run partnership at the backend set up a foundation of India’s respective first innings total of 327. Pujara himself top-scored with 135 and laced his monumental effort with 12 boundaries from his 350-ball knock.

Watch: Cheteshwar Pujara hitting his third Test century

Despite Cheteshwar Pujara’s best efforts, hosts India lost out to the visiting Englishmen by 10 wickets on the fourth morning.

Kevin Pietersen was adjudged as ‘Player of the Match’ for listing a match-winning 186 during the first English innings, which also featured a majestic 122 from visiting captain Alastair Cook.