Cheteshwar Pujara is set to play his 100th Test on Friday as India will take on Australia in the 2nd Test of the four-match Test series. The men in blue poured wishes for the star player ahead of this remarkable achievement.
In a video released by BCCI, Pujara's fellow teammates along with head coach Rahul Dravid are seen sharing heartfelt wishes for the 35-year-old ahead of the Delhi Test.
India captain Rohit Sharma called Pujara’s achievement special.
“I would like to congratulate Pujara on making it to the 100th Test match for the country. It’s a big, big achievement, not many people go on to achieve what you have done for your country. So big congratulations on that," Rohit said.
"As is usual for any sportsman, there have been many ups and downs but you’ve managed to come through it, which is a good thing,” he added.
India coach Rahul Dravid praised Pujara and said it has been a pleasure for him to see the star batter evolve in the last 10 years.
“Puji from the first time that I saw you in a Ranji Trophy game against Karnataka, where you scored runs and beat Karnataka, which has become a recurring theme I guess, it’s been just a pleasure to see you evolve over the last 10 years,” Dravid added.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli called Pujara’s journey “full of hardwork, grit, and comebacks”.
“This is a special day for a very, very special guy. Puji congratulations on your 100th Test, you’ve had a long journey. A journey full of hard work, persistence, grit, and comebacks, and that’s what you’re known for. I wish you all the best, enjoy the moment, it’s a big moment not just for yourself but also for your family and the people who’ve supported you throughout your journey. It's a big achievement to play for India for so long.” Kohli said.
Ravichandran Ashwin praised Pujara's ability to stay at the crease.
“First, of all congratulations to the “White Walker” of Indian cricket. He’s just been standing there. I’m not sure how many other players from India will go on to play 100 Tests. It’s a massive, massive achievement.”
Other players of Team india
While Mohammed Siraj remembered Pujara’s Brisbane knock, Ishan Kishan felt that he was very lucky to have not faced Pujara in domestic games. Axar Patel and Jaydev Unadkat shared Pujara’s habits off the field. They spoke about Pujara's bad record at Playstation and wished him to become a better loser in the PlayStation battles.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy and WTC standings
India won the first Test match against Australia by an innings and 132 runs. They will want to keep the momentum and win the upcoming Test matches in order to increase their points for the World Test Championship standings.
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