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'Reflection of longevity and...': Rahul Dravid's absolute gold statement on Pujara ahead of batter's 100th Test match
Cheteshwar Pujara will become the 13th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches for Team India on Friday. Indian head Rahul Dravid was asked about Pujara's special milestone in a recently concluded press conference.
After spending 13 years in international cricket, veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara is all set to rewrite history in the longest format of the game against Australia on Friday. The premier batter will record his 100th Test appearance in the second match of the action-packed Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the famous Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. With Team India gearing up for the 2nd Test against Australia, Indian head Rahul Dravid was asked about Pujara's special milestone in a recently concluded press conference.
Speaking to reporters before the start of the 2nd Test between India and Australia, Indian head coach Dravid showered praise on Pujara as the senior batter is on the cusp of joining batting icons Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman in an elite list. Star batter Pujara will become the 13th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches for the Asian giants on Friday.
"It is a big achievement for any player. Yes, you need talent but you need lot of other things. It's a reflection of your longevity and many other things. Your fitness, your resilience, ability to handle success and failure," Dravid told reporters ahead of the 2nd Test in New Delhi.
"When you play 100 games, it's not possible that you haven't seen ups and downs. You need to clear obstacles and bear the pain when you are down and play different kinds of bowling, various questions are asked on and off the field. To play 100 Tests, you need minimum 10 years and he has played for 13-14 years. It is a tribute to his skill which is there but so many other things are also there," added Dravid, who is the second-most capped player for India in Test cricket.
Pujara will hope to return to scoring ways in his 100th Test match against Australia. The star batter had a forgetful outing with the bat in the 1st Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Nagpur. One of the finest red-ball batters, Pujara has amassed 7021 runs for India in 99 Test matches. The 35-year-old made his Test debut against Australia at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2010. The swashbuckling batter has also played 5 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Team India.
"He is a very popular player. We are all so happy that he has got this opportunity to pay 100 Tests and he will do well in future also not just this game. In the last 10 years, Cheteshwar Pujara has played some very important knocks for the country which has won us matches and series. We are happy to celebrate this moment with him," Dravid added.
