He featured in 103 Tests for India.
India batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of the game on August 24. The 37-year-old cricketer called time on an illustrious 14-year career. He took to his social media accounts to declare the decision, and expressed satisfaction towards his long career. Pujara was one of the finest batters India produced in the longest format of the game. Not many players get to cross the 100-game milestone, and Pujara certainly did achieve the feat in his 103-match long career. He walked out for India at No.3, which is one of the most difficult positions to bat at, in Test cricket.
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The solid batter last played a Test for India in June 2023. He lost his place in the side after that subject to some poor performances. Him and Ajinkya Rahane were soon dropped from the side, as India looked to look past the experienced duo. Since June 2023, India tried six batters at the No.3 spot, with Shubman Gill being the most successful. However, skipper Gill moved a place down the order post Virat Kohli’s retirement. In the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the Indians tried Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair for the role. But none of them were able to cement their spot.
After Pujara decided to hang his boots, he soon revealed the thought process behind the decision. He took the step despite being available to play the Ranji Trophy, and felt that it is extremely important to groom youngsters at the right age. Pujara also revealed that it was his own decision to hang his boots, and was not influenced by any other factor. He also spoke about a couple of moments in his career, which he will cherish forever.
“This was my personal call, and I decided that this is the right time and I think the young players should get an opportunity in domestic cricket. Earlier, I thought I might play the Ranji season, but then I thought if a younger player got an opportunity, they will be groomed early, so this was my personal call” India’s former No.3 said in an interview with Sports Tak.
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The cricketer from Saurashtra was a force to reckon with at No.3. Some of the Australian pacers were not shy to admit that Pujara was one of the most difficult batters they ever had to bowl to. To add to that, Pujara’s innings in the fourth Test in Brisbane in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020/21 was where he took his resilience to another level. What helped Pujara was his calm demeanour and composed head on his shoulders. Though he was not the most technically correct batter to play the game, he had his own ways to adapt to the situation.
His gesture towards the youngsters in terms of creating space which would allow them to gain more exposure speaks volumes of the thought process. When asked about the fondest memories of his career, the former No.3 had absolutely no doubts in his mind. He picked two games Down Under as the best highlights in his career. India’s first series win on Australian soil came in 2018/19 under Virat Kohli. Furthermore, the series victory in 2020/21 when India faced a lot of adversities was a lot special too. Some of his great knocks came under pressure.
“In 2018, the team won a series on Australian soil for the first time — that was a memorable moment for me. Then in 2021, they won the Test series again. Both of those series are very special to me” Pujara added.
In the 103 Tests he played, Pujara notched up 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60. In his 14-year career, he scored 19 tons and 35 half-centuries, doing most of the heavy lifting at No.3. He scored the most of his runs against Australia and England, two oppositions that he loved playing against. The Indians have been on the hunt for a No.3 ever since he was dropped, but haven’t been able to persist with any. It would be interesting to notice how India choose to fill the Cheteshwar Pujara void.
