Pujara is the second fastest in terms of innings by an Indian player to reach 1,000 runs, next only to Vinod Kambli
Having taken up the no. 3 spot in the Indian Test team after the retirement of Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara has some really big shoes to fill. And while it’s too early to compare the two, the Saurashtra lad sure has had a great start to his Test career.
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He reinforced the point on Monday, when during the third day’s play against Australia in Hyderabed he scored his second double ton in international cricket. In the process, he became the second fastest Indian to cross the 1000 mark, behind Vinod Kambli.
Pujara reached 1,000 runs in 18 innings, totaling 1017 at an average of 67.80 including 4 centuries – the second fastest in terms of innings by an Indian player, next only to Vinod Kambli. Kambli, incidentally, did it in 14 innings.
Interestingly, the 25-year-old is equal with legend Sunil Gavaskar in terms of number of Test matches (both got to the 1000 mark in 11 Tests).
Cheteshwar Pujara after getting to his double hundred.u00a0
Pujara, who made his international debut in the 2010 Bangalore Test against Australia, became the second Indian player after Kambli to register two double hundreds in first eleven Tests.
The cricketer who's affectionately called Chintu, who was out in the middle for 450 minutes, played 341 balls for his 204 and hit 30 boundaries and a six.
Pujara reached his double hundred, when he came down the track to whip Glenn Maxwell through the mid-wicket boundary.
Another Indian reached the 1,000 run landmark – Virat Kohli completed his 1000 runs during his innings of 34. Kohli, playing his 16th Test, has 1032 runs at an average of 41.28 in 27 innings.
Some other records Pujara broke on Monday were:
- Cheteshwar Pujara became the first Indian batsman to post a double hundred in Tests at Uppal. He enjoys an impressive record at this venue, averaging 181.50 at Uppal, his runs' tally being 363 in two innings.
- Pujara has become the seventh Indian player to post a double hundred against Australia. He joins the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
- Laxman and Tendulkar have two double hundreds each to their credit against Australia.
- Pujara and opener Murali Vijay were associated in a partnership of 370 – India's highest second-wicket stand in Tests, bettering the unbroken 344 between Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar against the West Indies at Kolkata in December 1978.
- The stand was also India's fourth highest by any pair in Tests -- the highest being 413 for the first wicket between Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy against New Zealand at Chepauk, Chennai, in 1955-56.
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