Australia vs India 2018/19: Cheteshwar Pujara Becomes Third Most Balls Faced Indian In Australia
Published - 03 Jan 2019, 02:26 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 04:51 AM
Gone are those days when we used to watch Rahul Dravid making the opposition toil hard to bowl at him. He used to be the most irritating batsman for a fast bowler, as he just keeps on leaving the deliveries and also uses less scoring shots to make life hard. After a fine time, India once again got a similar player like him. He is none other than Cheteshwar Pujara.
Cheteshwar Pujara is in the race to surpass Rahul Dravid:
He is placed third in the list of most ball faced by an Indian in Australia in a Test series. Pujara surpassed Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli, who is placed 5th and 4th respectively. The chart is leading by Rahul Dravid.
Rahul Dravid faced 1203 deliveries during 2003/04 series while Vijay Hazare is placed second with 1192 to his name. At the third place, Cheteshwar Pujara has faced 1135 balls in the ongoing series and still counting. He got a couple of innings under his belt to break the record.
Virat Kohli, who is placed fourth in the chart faced 1093 balls when India toured in 2014/15. Coming to the fifth place, it is occupied by Sunil Gavaskar for his tally of 1032 during 1977/78 series.
SETTING STALL: Cheteshwar Pujara continues to be a thorn in the flesh for the Australians – 458 runs and counting in the series with three hundreds. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/66gmmF8SAi
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) January 3, 2019
Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 18th Test century on Thursday during the first day of the fourth Test between India and Australia. He faced 199 balls and smashed 13 fours over the course of another marathon innings.
Pujara has been in outstanding form in Australia. Last month, he had bailed India out of trouble with a sublime 123 at the Adelaide Oval before another half-century in the second innings ensured India had enough on the board to secure a historic win.
Cheteshwar Pujara remained unbeaten on 130* at the end of Day 1 stumps, who faced 250 deliveries. He almost batted entire day, as KL Rahul walked back for a cheap score. With the kind of form he is in, perhaps, Pujara is eyeing his double century in Australia.
