Australia vs India 2018: Cheteshwar Pujara's Hundred Kept India in the Game - Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar said Cheteshwar Pujara’s hundred has kept India in the game. The tourists were in all sorts of trouble as they were tottering at 127-6. However, Pujara batted with determination to bail India out of the jail as he scored his 16th century. Pujara scored 123 runs to take India’s score to 250 runs.

The visitors were crumbling like a house of cards as they were staring at a low score. However, Pujara batted at the top of his game despite losing his partners at the other end. Pujara added 62 runs alliance with Ravichandran Ashwin to help India in reaching a respectable score.

“What his century has done, it has given India a foothold in the game. They have got to 250 which means they are still in the game. If the Indian bowlers can bowl as good as the Australians did and get early wickets, then India can still restrict Australia about their total or maybe even under that.

Pujara changed gears after reaching his fifty as he scored more runs in the final session of the day. The right-hander scored 77 runs in the final session to keep India in the hunt. However, he was a prey of brilliant fielding from Pat Cummins.

“India is still in the game because they added those 70-80 runs, if Pujara hadn’t got those runs then India would have been all out for 170-180 and that wouldn’t have been enough. Hopefully, Mohammed Shami will swing the bat tomorrow and add 10-15 runs more,” Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.

Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara scored his runs when the Indian team was in dire states. India had lost its top order cheaply and it was a perfect rescue inning from Pujara.

“One of the finest Test match innings that you can see. Look at the circumstances where the Indian team was in trouble after losing the openers and the most prolific batsman in Virat Kohli. And then to hold the innings together as he did, that partnership with Ashwin, Rohit and Pant.”

Pujara showed his resistance even after he was losing wickets at the other end. The right-hander showed the character which was the need of the hour for the Indian team.