Cheteshwar Pujara Breaks Joe Root's Record For Most Balls Faced By A Batsmen Against Australia Since 2010
Updated - 17 Dec 2020, 08:42 PM
Cheteshwar Pujara, during his 160-ball 43 on the first day of the opening Test of the four-match series at the Adelaide Oval, once again displayed just why he is a perfect throwback to the good old days when batsmen used to put a big prize on their wicket and batted as if their life depended on it.
In an era dominated by power-hitters, whose patience runs out after playing 1-2 dot balls, Pujara goes through extended spells of not scoring a single run, and yet his concentration never deters. It’s almost like he is a monk lost in his own world of nirvana.
The Australians have experienced that to the hilt in the past few years, especially during the last Test series between the two cricketing powerhouses, where Cheteshwar Pujara took more than 1200 balls for his 521 runs.
The hosts experienced it again on the opening day of the pink-ball Test as Pujara, first with Mayank Agarwal and then with skipper Virat Kohli, went about rebuilding India’s innings.
Pujara showed exemplary patience against a relentless Australian attack. Such was his defiance that he scored his first boundary on his 148th delivery.
Pujara took 160 balls for his 43 and in the process, he broke Joe Root’s record of facing the most balls against Australia in Test match cricket in the past decade.
While Root has faced 3607 deliveries in 46 innings against Australia, Cheteshwar Pujara has faced 3609 balls in a mere 28 innings. Following Pujara and Root are Alastair Cook and Indian skipper Virat Kohli, having faced 3274 and 3115* in 40 and 35 innings respectively.
Most balls faced in Test cricket v Aus in the past decade:
CHETESHWAR PUJARA 3609 (28 inns)
Joe Root 3607 (46 inns)
Alastair Cook 3274 (40 inns)
Virat Kohli 3115 (35 inns)#AUSvIND— Adam Burnett (@AdamBurnett09) December 17, 2020
