Pujara established himself as the difference between the sides in the ongoing series against Australia on Friday.
India's middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have achieved their career-best rankings in batting and bowling, respectively in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings released on Tuesday.
Cheteshwar Pujara became the first Indian batsman to post a double hundred in Tests at Hyderabad. He enjoys an impressive record at the venue, averaging 181.50, his runs' tally being 363 in two innings.
Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara batted with restraint in the first session. They also ensured that they kept their wickets in tact. This allowed them to get set at the crease and then go after the Aussie bowling and accelerate the innings. This is where India got it right on Day 2.
'When I went out to bat, it was nearing the end of play. The West Indies players honoured me, and the crowd gave me a warm reception. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I had to stay focused.'
Pujara termed Melbourne hundred as an 'important knock' while rating the Adelaide ton as a 'special knock' since it came in a winning cause.
Images from Day 3 of the third Test between India and Australia in Ranchi on Saturday.
Images from Day One of the opening Test between India and New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Uppal on Thursday.
A sharp mind with a penchant for trying out new things, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is relentless in his bowling approach and always tries to keep himself one step ahead of opposition batters, his long-time national team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara said.
Pujara stood tall in a defiant 47 off 102 balls even as Sri Lanka pacers made full use of the overcast conditions to run through the Indian batting line-up.
Images of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka being played in Colombo
"If anyone doubted he was ever a team man, they got to see it first-hand today. That requires more than just steel," Shastri said in a video posted by the BCCI on its website.
For someone who smashed 1000 first-class runs in a month's domestic cricket in the 2017-18 season, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a heavy duty scorer like Mayank Agarwal knows a thing or two about the art of conversion, believes Cheteshwar Pujara.
NADA DG added that "BCCI's explanation will be discussed as to whether it will be counted as one of three filing failures or not. It will be decided on the explanation given and how they (BCCI) proceed from here."
Cheteshwar Pujara scored a scintillating century to place Saurashtra in a dominating position on the third day against Rajasthan
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli's exploits with the bat in the two-Test series sweep of New Zealand will encourage India to believe they have pinpointed the right men to help carry the team through a tricky transitional period.
Cheteshwar Pujara has set an example for others with his first-innings century
Veteran opener Virender Sehwag was dropped from the Indian squad for the first three One-Day Internationals against England, starting in Rajkot on January 11.
The 24-year-old Rajkot-born batsman is only the sixth Indian to hit a double century against England.
While the young Indian team showed great resolve to earn a creditable draw in England, the series exposed several weaknesses that need urgent attention.
Pujara, on his part, thanked all the front-line warriors including doctors, para medical staff, and police, who are doing selfless service at this critical juncture.
A day after India announced their squad for the all-important tour of South Africa, former spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday questioned Yuzvendra Chahal's selection for the tour, and said that they gave him a "lollypop to suck on."
India's Cheteshwar Pujara slipped a rung to seventh in the batting list but R Ashwin remained steady at fifth in the bowling chart of the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Thursday.
Virat Kohli's last Test century was against Bangladesh in November 2019. Will century 28 come at Chattogram?
Cheteshwar Pujara said his side's first innings 187 was "like scoring 300 on any normal pitch" and puts them on top after the opening day of the third and final Test against South Africa on Wednesday.
Cheteshwar Pujara has never been known for sledging opposition batsmen but he is not averse to the idea if it helps the bowler.
Rajput said that India will miss pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at home, if he is ruled out of the event through injury.
Brushing aside the criticism for not scoring quickly enough, Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said positive intent and not strike rate is what all that matters in Test cricket.
Considered a Test batsman of impeccable technique, Cheteshwar Pujara says he has made some adjustments in his game to adapt to the fast-paced Twenty20 format in the ongoing Pepsi IPL where he shares the dressing room with destructive batsmen like Chris Gayle.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Kolkata, on Friday.
Australia's in-depth planning to subdue Cheteshwar Pujara worked out well in the opening Test but spinner Nathan Lyon says it would be a massive challenge to keep the world-class batsman quiet through the remainder of the series.
'...it's been Shubman Gill, who's been moving from the opener's slot, and he himself wanted to bat at No. 3.'
Cheteshwar Pujara struck an unbeaten century to give India a slender first innings lead on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England.
'Rising to the occasion once again and playing a well-balanced knock!'
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja and K S Bharat enjoyed their outing.
Controversial keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has been dropped from the Test team, will still earn Rs 1 crore in annual income after being demoted from group B to C.
Mumbai held a slight edge reducing Madhya Pradesh to 197 for five in their Ranji Trophy cricket semi-final after being bowled out for 371 in their first innings, in Cuttack, on Sunday.
Pujara has so far scored 521 runs in seven innings with three hundreds at an impressive average of 74.42.
After helping Saurashtra win their maiden Ranji Trophy title last month, little did he know that he would be spending all his time at home. Pujara is enjoying the 'forced' break and most of his time goes into entertaining his two-year-old daughter.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the highest-placed Indian batsman, climbing a rung to the sixth position, while Pragyan Ojha broke into the top-10 among bowlers after gaining one spot to be 10th in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Monday.
