Cheteshwar Pujara was at his ultimate best in the 2018/19 series in Australia and his 521 runs helped India win a Test series Down Under for the first time.
In 2018/19, Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team began their quest of becoming the first team to win a Test Series Down Under. Past Indian cricket teams had tried but they all failed to get the better of Australia in their own home den. In 1977/78, the Indian team had come close to beating an Australian side that had missed key players due to the Kerry Packer series but they lost 2-3 in one of the most closely fought Test series. In the 80s, India managed two drawn series while in the 90s and 2000s, Australia’s power was at its peak.
However, in 2018/19, the tables had turned. Australia were missing the services of Steve Smith and David Warner, their two gun batsmen due to the ball-tampering scandal while the Australian pace trio was still going strong. The Australian players were all going to go after Virat Kohli, but one man ensured that Australia would be made to pay for their lapses.
Combined with an insatiable appetite for runs and the ability to bat for long periods of time, Cheteshwar Pujara hurt the Australians in a big way. Pujara smashed 521 runs in seven innings at an average of 74.42 with three tons. However, there were two key facts in which Cheteshwar Pujara was totally dominant. Pujara batted for a total of 30 hours and was at the crease for 1258 balls. His centuries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney ensured India won the series in grand style after losing the second Test in Perth.
Cheteshwar Pujara ‘The Wall’
Pujara managed to deflate the Aussie bowling attack by facing a record 1258 deliveries. Pujara's numbers were the most by an Indian cricketer in a Test series in Australia, surpassing Dravid's 1203 balls in 2003-04 series, Virat Kohli's 1,093 balls in 2014-15 and Sunil Gavaskar's 1,032 balls in 1977-78.
Speaking about the prospects of the Indian team before the current tour, Pujara said, “It will be challenging, no doubt about it. But, our team is very confident now, especially there were many positives from the last tour. Yes, we won the series, but apart from that, look at the way we played cricket, there were many players who performed. It was a collective effort.”
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