Cheteshwar Pujara, recently brought up his 13th century on the opening day of the 2nd Test, he is still not out at 126. Along with him, Ajinkya Rahane, too, got to his 9th Test ton and not out, as India ended day 1 at 344 for 3. India won the toss and opted to bat first. Shikhar Dhawan’s luck ran out as he got out for 35 runs and even Virat Kohli could not make a mark, departing after scoring 13 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara, on the other hand, by getting to his 13th hundred, breached the 4000 run mark in Tests.
As India already have a 1-0 lead in the series, it is a good opportunity for Pujara to convert this hundred into a double hundred.
India has been blessed with phenomenal number 3 batsmen in the past with the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Rahul Dravid was in fact touted to be ‘the wall’. Number 3 is a very important position in a Test match, as the best batsmen usually bat at this number. The person batting at 3 is usually a technically sound batsman.
Fun fact:
Did you know Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara both got to their 3000 & 4000 runs respectively in Test matches in the same number of innings?
Dravid and Pujara:
Both completed 3000 Test runs in 67 innings
Both completed 4000 Test runs in 84 innings
Hey Guys, who smashed the Hundred Today? _
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.#pujara #rahane #cheteshwarpujara #ajinkyarahane #TeamIndia #Indi_ https://t.co/50XSDNrZ1K pic.twitter.com/LOzQFvvobb— Cricket Universe (@CricUniverse) August 3, 2017
It was inevitable that comparisons are bound to sprout up but another feather to the cap if the comparison is made to ‘The Wall’. Cheteshwar Pujara has a long career ahead of him and has the opportunity to break many such records in the future.
This is the first time that two Indians have scored centuries on the 1st day in consecutive overseas Tests.#SLvIND
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) August 3, 2017
Century in most consecutive Tests in Sri Lanka among Indians:
3 S Tendulkar, CHETESHWAR PUJARA*
2 V Kambli, Azharuddin, Dhawan #SLvIND— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) August 3, 2017
It has to be said that Pujara has made his predecessors shoes his own and has fit in really well.
