One of the mainstays of the Indian line-up in the longest format, Cheteshwar Pujara is all set to play his 100th Test match in the second Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia, starting February 17 in Delhi.
Pujara will become the 13th Indian cricketer to achieve this feat, having made his debut in 2010 against Australia.
Ahead of his landmark game, Pujara’s teammates and India head coach Rahul Dravid congratulated the veteran batter and wished him the best for his 100th Test.
"Puji from the first time that I have seen you or played against you was in a Ranji Trophy match where you scored runs and you beat Karnataka that's become a recurring theme I think but it's been a pleasure to just watch you evolve over the last 10 years," said Dravid in a video posted on bcci.tv.
India skipper Rohit Sharma said: "Firstly, I would like to congratulate Pujara for making it to the 100th Test match for the country. It's a big big achievement, not many people go on to achieve what you have done for your country."
Star batter Virat Kohli, who played his 100th Test last year, said: "This is a very special day for a very very special guy. Puji congratulations on your 100th Test. It's a big occasion not just for you but for your family, for the people who have supported you throughout your journey and it's a big achievement to play for India for so long that's why you made it to 100th Tests."
On the eve of the match, Pujara addressed a press conference, where he said that he never thought he will be playing the 100th Test match for India when he started his career.
The 35-year-old also expressed his desire to lift the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) trophy for India.
“When I started playing cricket and then made my (Test) debut, I never thought about playing hundred Test matches. For me, it is always about being in the present and not thinking too far ahead. So, for me, I thought before this series started and that's when I realised that I will be playing my hundredth Test match. In a career, you always go through ups and downs, and you have to fight through those periods,” Pujara said in the pre-match presser.
“There is a lot more to achieve. I am definitely satisfied and really excited to play this hundredth Test match. But at the same time, we are playing an important series. So, hopefully, we win this Test match and move on to win another Test match which will ensure we will qualify for the WTC final. My dream is to win a WTC final for the Indian team, which didn't happen in the last final. But hopefully, once we qualify, we move towards that," he added.
In 99 Tests so far, Cheteshwar Pujara has aggregated 7021 runs at an average of 44.15 with 19 hundreds and 34 half-centuries to his name.
