7 defining Test innings by Indian batsmen that were not centuries 

#3 Cheteshwar Pujara – 92 vs Australia (Bangalore, 2017)

Cheteshwar Pujara was brilliant in the series against Australia

India’s home season in 2017 was a long one. They hosted 13 Tests (against four different oppositions) and to end the long and glorious home stretch, India and Australia played a 4-match Test series (Border-Gavaskar Trophy).

After surprising everyone with their performance in the first Test (where they won the game by a whopping 333 runs) on a rank turner, they dominated the first half of the second Test (in Bangalore) as well.

India were bowled out for 190 and Australia then got to 276 in their first innings.

With a lead of 87 and a series-lead of 1-0, Australia were clearly ahead and the pressure was on India. Walking in to bat at 39/1, Cheteshwar Pujara started off well. He negated the threat of the Aussie pacers (Starc and Hazlewood) first and then blunted out the spinners.

After a nice partnership of 45 between Pujara and KL Rahul for the second wicket, India lost quick wickets and were reduced to 120/4 and given the collapses they suffered in the previous three innings, they were under serious pressure. However, Ajinkya Rahane complimented the solid-looking Pujara very well as the duo took India’s lead past the 150-mark.

However, it was Pujara who negated the spinners’ threat. He used his feet to get to the pitch and blunt it out or whip it through the mid-wicket region for runs. He fell on 92 and missed out on a well-deserved ton. But it was his innings that set up the victory of India as Australia failed to chase 188 in the fourth innings.

It was not only a match-changing innings, but also a series-defining knock. After India levelled the series 1-1 in Bangalore, they went on to win the series 2-1 in the fourth Test in Dharamsala.