Having formed a strong middle-order partnership for almost ten years, batting maestro Virat Kohli complimented his longtime India teammate Cheteshwar Pujara on Tuesday for making his work “easier” in the Test batting lineup.
After beginning his career in 2010 against Australia in Bengaluru, Pujara, 37, announced his retirement on Sunday.
“Thank you for making my job easier at (number) 4 pujji. You’ve had an amazing career. Congratulations and wish you the best for what’s ahead. God bless @cheteshwarpujara,” Kohli, who announced his Test retirement this year in May, wrote on his Instagram story.
In 83 Test innings, Kohli and Pujara amassed 3,513 runs at an average of 43.37, including seven century stands and eighteen half-century partnerships.
Former teammates and coaches praised Pujara’s tenacity, commitment, and selflessness, which characterized his Test career, and his retirement sparked an outpouring of admiration from the cricket community.
During his 103 Test matches, Pujara amassed 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60. In addition to 35 half-centuries, he has made 19 centuries.
The Saurashtra batsman was a key component of Kohli’s Test team that won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in 2018–19.
Pujara made 521 runs in seven innings during that Australian tour, helping India win the series 2-1.
Pujara scored 271 runs from four games at an average of 33.87 in the 2020–21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, with three fifties and a best score of 77.
He participated in 278 first-class cricket matches and scored 21,301 runs, with his highest total being 352. In first-class cricket, Pujara scored 66 hundreds and 81 half-centuries while averaging 51.82.
In 2023, Pujara made his final appearance for India in the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval in London.
