'Zindagi na milegi Pujara!' cricket fraternity and fans pour in tributes after he records 18th Test ton

Cheteshwar Pujara smashed a boundary to reach his 18th Test ton on Day one of the fourth Test underway between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.

He removed his helmet and fist-pumped aggressively and that showed what it meant to him on the personal level and also for Team India, who are on the brink of history Down Under. 

Pujara built a 100-run-plus stand with Mayank Agarwal but after the departure of the later, wickets kept falling on the other end as Pujara stood rock solid on one end. 

Pujara became the third Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli to score more three or more centuries in a Test series in Australia.

Here are the best reactions to Pujara’s classy knock on Twitter:

The RESPECT you get as a cricketer for what @cheteshwar1 is doing in TEST CRICKET, is GREATER than any wonderfully skilful T20 innings.

Youngsters - look, learn & listen!

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) January 3, 2019

Stand and applaud @cheteshwar1  another brilliant innings and he does not look satisfied  wants 200

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) January 3, 2019

Cheteshwar Pujara the difference between the two teams. #class #AUSvIND @cheteshwar1

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) January 3, 2019

Cheteshwar Pujara. Remember the name.

— Sidvee (@sidvee) January 3, 2019

The synonym for consistency in this India-Aus Test Series has been Cheteshwar Pujara. What an amazing series he is having.

The standout performance of the series being Pujara tackling Lyon. Absolute Class written all over it. #AUSvIND #SydneyTest #Pujara

— North Stand Gang - Wankhede (@NorthStandGang) January 3, 2019

Very happy for Pujara. Here is a player who knows his game inside out, is comfortable with who he is and how he plays and is just a simple, modest man. And that quality is a big part of his cricket.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 3, 2019

Zindagi na milegi Pujara. Brilliant to watch the determination and the consistency has been amazing.
Congratulations @cheteshwar1 on your third hundred of the series.

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 3, 2019

Calmness while batting, calmness in celebration. Pujara stands out in today’s frenetic world as he has done in this series.#AusvIndia

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) January 3, 2019

Earlier in the day, Pujara joined a club that also included the former and a few other legends in terms of the number of balls faced in a Test series Down Under. 

Pujara (1,000* balls in 166.4 overs this series) became just the fifth Indian Test batsman, after Dravid(1203 balls - 2003/04), Vijay Hazare (1,192 balls - 1947-48), Kohli (1,093 balls - 2014-15) and Sunil Gavaskar (1,032 balls - 1977-78), to have faced 1,000 or more balls in a Test series in Australia.