2nd Test: Cheteshwar Pujara takes 35 balls to get off the mark, receives a huge cheer from the crowd at Lord’s – Watch

Cheteshwar Pujara played patiently and took 35 balls to score his first runs in India's second innings of the 2nd Test against England at Lord's.

Cheteshwar Pujara had a slow start to his innings on Day 4 of the second Test between India and England at Lord’s on Sunday. Pujara walked out at the fall of KL Rahul’s wicket for five and had to face some disciplined bowling from James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Sam Curran, which tested the India batsman on an uneven pitch.

Cheteshwar Pujara had a smile on his face as the crowd clapped at him getting off the mark.  (Screengrab)

Pujara has never the quickest of scorers, and with a string of low scores behind it, it was expected that he would be circumspect in his approach. Pujara played patiently and took 35 balls to score his first runs. In between, Pujara was keen to get off the mark but since the single on offer was risky, Virat Kohli decided to send him back on a couple of occasions.

Finally, in the 20th over of the innings, Pujara got the chance to break free, when he tucked a single off a Curran delivery on the leg-side much to his relief and the amusement of the crowd. The entire crowd of Lord’s cheered for Pujara and gave him a round of applause. Pujara saw the lighter side of it and had a huge smile on his face as he punched gloves with Kohli at the other end.

Pujara holds the record for a batsman facing the maximum number of deliveries before scoring a run. In January of 2018, during a Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg, Pujara had faced 53 balls to get off the mark, which is the most by a top-order batsman since 2001. Among cricketers from India, Rahul Dravid had played 40 balls before scoring his first run against Australia at MCG in 2007.

Later, the crowd once again got into the act, when Pujara faced 100 balls for 12 runs, which is the least runs he's scored after facing those many deliveries in an innings. Before today, Pujara's lowest score after facing 100 balls was 24 which was against Australia at Perth in 2018.

Pujara scored 4 and 12 not out in the Nottingham Test which ended in a draw. At Trent Bridge, he hit India's last boundary to take the score to 52/1 before rain washed out the entire fifth day. In the first innings at Lord's, he was dismissed for 9 off 23 balls nicking Anderson to Jonny Bairstow at second slip.