Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from competitive cricket on August 24 (Sunday). In an era of batters trying to mend their technique and fit into all three formats of the game, Pujara was a batter who kept things simple, backed his defense and achieved great success in the longest format, donning the whites.
Walking in as the legendary Rahul Dravid’s successor, Pujara fulfilled his role by being a technically skilled and stable batter at #3 who stood at the crease and gritted his way through tough situations. His ability to bat hours and hours and be an immovable rock made him an Indian Test icon.
So, with one of India’s greatest batters calling it a day, we do a statistical lookback of the career of a batter that will be incredibly hard to replace.
The Man who could bat on and on and on…
Cheteshwar Pujara was an immovable wall at No.3 who would hold on to one end and bat at his own pace. Pujara was someone who scored a truckload of runs, but ‘batting time’ became synonymous with him because of just how much time he spent at the crease game in and game out.
Even on his bad days, the right-hander ensured to soak up deliveries to make life easier for the batters around him.
Most balls faced by an Indian batter in a Test innings
525 – Cheteshwar Pujara vs AUS, Ranchi, 2017
495 – Rahul Dravid vs PAK, Rawalpindi, 2004
491 – Navjot Singh Sidhu vs WI, Port of Spain, 1997
477 – Ravi Shastri vs Australia, Sydney, 1992
472 – Sunil Gavaskar vs ENG, Bengaluru, 1981
Most balls faced for India in Test wins
10786 – Rahul Dravid
10641 – Sachin Tendulkar
9390 – Cheteshwar Pujara
8194 – Virat Kohli
Highest balls/dismissals for India in Tests
123.8 – Rahul Dravid
99.5 – Sachin Tendulkar
98.3 – Cheteshwar Pujara
93.9 – Navjot Singh Sidhu
*Min 50 Tests
Most instances of playing 200+ balls in a Test innings for India
48 – Rahul Dravid
41 – Sachin Tendulkar
26 – Sunil Gavaskar
24 – Cheteshwar Pujara
21 – Virat Kohli
One of the best at No.3 position
Pujara replaced Rahul Dravid at #3 position post the latter’s retirement in 2012. In the 11 years that he batted at this position, the 37-year-old managed to be one of the best in the business, proving to be an absolute menace for opposition bowlers. He was a wall, but he was a run-machine too.
Most fifty-plus scores at #3 in Tests
87 – Kumar Sangakkara
78 – Rahul Dravid
75 – Ricky Ponting
65 – Kane Williamson
62 – Hashim Amla
50 – Cheteshwar Pujara
Most 50+ scores in 1st innings of a Test for India
40 – Sachin Tendulkar
30 – Rahul Dravid
20 – Cheteshwar Pujara
19 – Sunil Gavaskar
Most double centuries for India at home in Tests
6 – Virat Kohli
3 – Cheteshwar Pujara
3 – Virender Sehwag
3 – Sachin Tendulkar
Unstoppable versus spin in his prime
Before the slide he endured post 2020, Pujara, for six years, was easily up there as the best player of spin in the entire world. From 2010 to 2019, nobody averaged more against spin than him.
Highest average against spin in Tests between 2010-19
75.27 – Cheteshwar Pujara
72.46 – Younis Khan
70.89 – Kumar Sangakkara
70.38 – AB de Villiers
69.84 – Virat Kohli
*Min 50 innings
And this aforementioned average rose further to a whopping 80.9 from 2013 to 2019, during which the right-hander was at his absolute peak. He was essentially invincible against spin bowling.
Balls per dismissal against spin in Tests between 2013 to 2019 (min 50 inns)
149.7 – Cheteshwar Pujara
124.5 – Kane Williamson
119.9 – Azhar Ali
118.4 – Dinesh Chandimal
Stealing the show against the Aussies
Not a lot of modern-day batters can proudly say that they dominated Australia, but Pujara certainly can. At least in his prime. It was he who powered India to their first ever series win in Australia in 2018 with a historic campaign, and then three years later, he once again played his part in iconic showings in Sydney and the Gabba as the Men in Blue won consecutive series Down Under.
The 37-year-old hangs up his boots as one of the finest players to have played the BGT.
Most 50+ scores in Border-Gavaskar Test Series
25 – Sachin Tendulkar
20 – Ricky Ponting
18 – VVS Laxman
16 – Cheteshwar Pujara
15 – Rahul Dravid
15 – Steve Smith
Most runs for India against Australia in a Test series
692 – Virat Kohli, BGT 2014-15
619 – Rahul Dravid, BGT 2003-04
521 – Cheteshwar Pujara, BGT 2018-19
518 – GR Viswanath, AUS tour of IND 1979
Most balls faced against Australia in a Test Series for India
1258 – Cheteshwar Pujara, BGT 2018-19
1203 – Rahul Dravid, BGT 2003-04
1192 – Vijay Hazare, IND tour of AUS 1947-48
1093 – Virat Kohli, BGT 2014-15
1049 – Cheteshwar Pujara, BGT 2017
Most centuries for India in a Test Series against Australia
4 – Virat Kohli, BGT 2014-15
3 – Cheteshwar Pujara, BGT 2018-19
3 – Sunil Gavaskar, IND tour of AUS 1977-78
Unique Records
Apart from being showcased in high profile records, Pujara also has a couple of unique records which is matched by only a few Indian players.
Indian openers to carry the bat through the innings in Tests
Sunil Gavaskar (127*) vs Pakistan, Faisalabad, 1983
Virender Sehwag (201*) vs Sri Lanka, Galle, 2008
Rahul Dravid (146*) vs England, The Oval, 2011
Cheteshwar Pujara (145*) vs Sri Lanka, Colombo (SSC), 2015
Batting on each day of a five day Test match for India
Motganhalli Jaisimha (20* & 74) vs Australia, Kolkata, 1960
Ravi Shastri (111 & 7*) vs England, Kolkata, 1984
Cheteshwar Pujara (52 & 22) vs Sri Lanka, Kolkata, 2017
Most double centuries in First Class Cricket
37 – Don Bradman (Australia)
36 – Walter Hammond (England)
22 – Elias Hendren (England)
18 – Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
Cheteshwar Pujara in Top 3 batting positions in Tests
As opener: 9 inns, 474 runs, 79.0 average, 3 fifties, 1 century
At #3: 155 inns, 6529 runs, 44.41 average, 32 fifties, 18 centuries