Rahul Dravid hails Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of 100th Test: “It’s a tribute to his skill”

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has lauded Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of his 100th Test, which begins against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday, February 17. Terming Pujara’s achievement as a big one, Dravid attributed the batter’s success to his skill and dedication.

Having made his debut against the Aussies in Bengaluru in 2010, Pujara has gone on to establish himself as a key member of the Test outfit. In 99 matches, he has 7021 runs to his name at an average of 44.15, with 19 hundreds and 34 fifties to his name.

Incidentally, the 35-year-old replaced Dravid as India’s No. 3 batter in the Test squad and is often referred to as the ‘new wall’ of Indian cricket. At a press conference on Wednesday, February 15, the head coach was asked for his views on Pujara’s journey. He commented:

“It’s a big achievement. 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. When you play 100 Tests, it can’t happen that you haven’t seen ups and downs.

“You have to overcome the ups and downs. Various questions are asked of you, on the field and off it. You need at least 10 years to play 100 Tests. 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.”

Pujara was the Player of the Series when India beat Australia in Australia for the first time in a Test series in 2018-19. He was the leading run-getter with 521 runs in seven innings at an average of 74.42, with three hundreds and one fifty.

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“We are happy to celebrate this moment with him” - Dravid on Pujara’s 100th Test

Describing Pujara as a very popular member of the Indian team, Dravid added that all the players are very happy to celebrate the big moment with him. The head coach elaborated:

“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."

Praising the veteran batter, Dravid concluded:

“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 last 13-14 years. We are happy to celebrate this moment with him.”

Pujara was dismissed for 7 in the first Test against Australia in Nagpur even as India clinched the game by an innings and 132 runs.