10 Reasons for India's record-breaking win at Adelaide

3. Pujara’s century in the first innings

Pujara was the real difference between the two teams

Pujara came into bat in the third over of the match when Rahul once again gifted his wicket to a loose shot. For a change, Rahul’s mode of dismissal was different from his normal routine of being bowled or LBW. Pujara saw Vijay, Kohli and Rahane depart at the other end even before the Indian score reached 50.

Pujara in the initial stages of his innings was very tentative against both Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood. The loss of wickets at the other end didn’t help either. He was struck on his individual score of 11 for 30 deliveries before he slashed Mitchell Starc for a dangerous boundary after lunch. When on 19, he had a narrow escape when the ball fell just short of the short leg fielder. But he stayed on to fight till the end.

While Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant were living dangerously at the other end, Pujara was more assured at the crease in the second session of play on the first day. Even their dismissal didn’t deter Pujara’s concentration as he reached his 50 off 153 balls in the company of Ashwin. He added 62 priceless runs with Ashwin. However, after the dismissal of Ashwin, Pujara demonstrated a new facet of his batting skill while batting in the company of tailenders.

When Ashwin got out, Pujara was on 72. He shifted gears hooking Hazlewood for a six and pulling him for a four to reach 99. Pujara reached his 16th hundred off 231 balls before he was run out for 123 with the help of 7 fours and 2 sixes.

From 4 for 1, Pujara nearly batted through the whole of the first day to drag India out to a competitive score of 250. It was Pujara’s brilliant hundred which saved India from humiliation on the first day.

By scoring 71 in the second innings, Pujara became only the third Indian batsman after Mohinder Amarnath and Rahul Dravid to score a century and a half-century in a Test match in Australia.

In the end, it was Pujara's batting which was the real difference between the two teams.