Pujara to play 100th Test today

India’s middle order legend battman Cheteshwar Pujara said that he never thought that he will be playing the 100th Test match for India when he started his career and added that he hopes to lift the ICC World Test Championship trophy for his country.
Pujara has enjoyed a stellar 13-year career with India and is all set to play his 100th Test in Delhi on Friday. The second Test of the series will be held in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium from February 17 to 21. Delhi is hosting its first Test since December 2017. India has a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. “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,” Cheteshwar Pujara said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday. Pujara will become the 13th Indian player to get his 100th Test cap. Opening up on the eve of his 100th Test, the doughty batter said, “I never ever thought that I will play the 100th Test for my country, it’s a milestone for me. I always played like a new day and while playing on never think about any special mark or match, I saw lots of up and down during this time of period but my journey continues for playing 100 Tests you need to believe in yourself and it’s a really long and hard-working journey.”
Recalling his best Test innings, Pujara said, “Every inning is special for me it’s hard to select one or two innings but yes if I have to select then my debut inning where I scored 72 runs still very special for me, after this innings of 92 against Australia at M. Chinnaswamy in 2017 also in my bucket and after this 52 runs against Australia in Gabba still remember as the ball hit my body continuously but I stood and that result was fruitful for the team.”
Pujara has played 99 Tests so far. He has scored 7,021 runs at an average of 44.15 in his 13-year-long Test career, having made his debut in 2010. He has 19 centuries and 34 fifties in the format, with the best score of 206*.
Meanwhile, India must win the second Test against Australia in Delhi, which begins on Friday, to maintain their lead in the Test rankings and come closer to qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June. To qualify for the final, India must win the series 3-1 or 3-0.
When Pujara takes to the field against Australia in the second Test at Delhi from February 17 onwards, he will become only the 13th player to reach the landmark of 100 Test matches for India. The most number of Test matches in cricket is played by legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is the only cricketer to have played 200 matches in the longer format.