Cheteshwar Pujara Hits Eighth Test Ton, Hands India Initiative
Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 8th Test ton and his first of this series, remaining unbeaten on 101 off 148 balls at the time of the declaration
- Dattaraj Thaly
- Updated: October 11, 2016 01:53 PM IST
Highlights
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Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 8th Test century
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India declared at 216/3 following Pujara's ton
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The Saurashtra batsman has been in brilliant form with the bat this year
Cheteshwar Pujara continued his solid run in the ongoing India-New Zealand series with a fine century on Day 4 at Indore.
The right-hander scored his 8th Test ton and his first of this series, remaining unbeaten on 101 off 148 balls at the time of the declaration on Day 4 of the 3rd Test in Indore.
Pujara's stay at the crease produced nine fours.
The Saurashtra batsman is bound to be relieved after reaching the three-figure mark, especially since he missed out at Kanpur (62, 78) and Kolkata (87).
The 28-year-old has carried on from where he left in the Duleep Trophy, in which he amassed plenty of runs.
In recent months, Pujara's low strike rate has come under the scanner. Skipper Virat Kohli even revealed during a press conference that the team had discussed this issue.
However, Anil Kumble sided with the batsman and stated the scoring rate wasn't really a factor in Test cricket.
Speaking to reporters during the series, Pujara clarified on the same. According to him, the message from the team management was to play with intent and not get bogged down.
"This issue has become slightly too big. The message [from the team management to him] was to play with intent. When it comes to Test cricket, we don't need to focus much on strike rate. It's about having a positive intent. Overall, on such wickets, obviously you can't keep scoring runs at strike rates above 70-80. You have to play according to the situation, know what the team requires, what number you're batting at. Depending on all circumstances, you have to bat accordingly," he told reporters.
Pujara, in his new avatar, definitely adds a new dimension to India's batting and going forward, he is likely to play a vital role in the team's grand plans of Test cricket domination.