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Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara put on a great application of batting during the ongoing third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 between India and Australia.
During India's second innings at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on March 2, Pujara struck a valiant 59. His knock gave India a slight chance to remain alive in the Test match.
Indian batters put up a horrid batting performance in the first innings when they were bundled out for just 109 on Day 1.
Usman Khawaja's 60-run knock then propelled Australia to 197 and helped his side take an 88 first-innings lead.
India once again faltered in their second innings but it was Pujara's resolute persistence that kept India in the hunt.
This, however, wasn't the first time the Rajkot-born batter has stuck in and held the fort for India in difficult times. He has often stood up and scored runs during tricky situations in the second innings of a Test over the years.
Here are five of Cheteshwar Pujara's best knocks that he has played in the second innings of a Test for India.
#5 102* vs Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2022
After a wait of nearly four years, Pujara ended his century drought during India's last Test series of 2022 against Bangladesh.
The Saurashtra batter was commendable in both innings of the Chattogram Test, which was the first of the two-match series. He top-scored with a 90-run knock to help India score 404 in the first innings.
In response, Bangladesh collapsed for just 150 runs. However, India did not enforce the follow-on and batted for the second time in the game. India's No. 3 batter walked in to bat when the score was 70/1.
He was unfortunate to have missed out on a hundred in the first innings but this time he wanted to make it count.
Pujara hit 13 fours in his 130-ball stay at the crease, after which captain KL Rahul declared the innings. He dominated in the 75 runs partnership with former skipper Virat Kohli, who was content to rotate the strike to the in-form batter.
Notably, his 130-ball 102* was also his fastest Test century for India.
#4 92 vs Australia in Bangalore in 2017
Under Virat Kohli, India became a ruthless side with dominant series wins against New Zealand, Bangladesh and England. However, Australia stunned the Asian giants in Pune to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series in 2017.
Even in the first innings of the second Test in Bangalore, they bundled out India for just 189 runs. Australia had a crucial 87-run lead on a spinning Chinnaswamy pitch.
With the pressure of losing the Border-Gavaskar Series, Pujara stitched together a vital 118-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane (52) to put up a decent total.
With his resolute approach, he defied the threat of Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe, who took nine wickets between them in the first innings. After battling for 221 balls, Pujara scored a brilliant 92 and helped India put up a target of 188 for Australia in the fourth innings.
Courtesy of Ravichandran Ashwin's six-wicket haul, India bundled the Aussies for 112 to win the match by 75 runs. From then on, India got momentum and they went on to win the series 2-1.
#3 77 vs Australia in Sydney in 2021
The only fourth-innings knock featured on this list is Pujara's superlative 205-ball 77 against Australia Down Under in Sydney during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21.
With the series poised at 1-1, the third Test in Sydney saw Australia put India under the pump. Setting a target of 407, Australia had over 130 overs, which could've been more than enough to bowl India out to win the Test match.
Resuming Day 5 at 98/2, India started the final day on a disastrous start when they lost skipper Ajinkya Rahane for only four runs. Pujara, however, forged a fantastic partnership with Rishabh Pant and kept the Aussie bowling attack at bay.
The duo added 148 runs for the fourth wicket and gave Team India an outside chance of pulling off a miraculous win. Although Pant was dismissed just before the second new ball was available, Cheteshwar Pujara ensured the momentum did not turn in Australia's favor.
The right-hander faced 205 balls for his 77 runs and hit 12 boundaries. One thought Pujara held the key to Team India's chances of winning or saving the game. However, the 35-year-old was cleaned up by an absolute peach of a delivery from Josh Hazlewood and the match was drawn.
#2 59 vs Australia in Indore in 2023
The latest entrant on the list, Pujara's recent knock of 59 against the Aussie unit ensured his side didn't face humiliation in the ongoing third Test in Indore.
The Steve Smith-led unit took a lead of 88 runs after the first innings. India needed to score at least 200 runs to have enough runs on the board for the bowlers to have an outside chance.
The innings started with India 88 runs behind, and they lost four wickets by the time they were even, with Lyon bowling beautifully.
On a surface that had plenty of turn and uneven bounce, India needed someone to hold their fort and keep the Aussie bowlers at bay. Pujara, who has had a forgettable series so far, put his hand up and secured one end.
Shreyas Iyer did try to take the game on and even hit two boundaries and three sixes but was unfortunate to miss out after scoring 26.
The 35-year-old negotiated the spinners with great technique and application. He used his feat time and again and frustrated the Aussie unit, playing 142 balls en route to his 59.
Pujara's tireless innings was stopped by a blinder of a catch by Steve Smith at leg-slip. While India would've liked to score at least 30-40 more runs, it was Pujara's supreme determination to help India post 163.
Australia need 76 runs to win the third Test on Day 3.
#1 71 vs Australia in Adelaide in 2018
The first match of a series often sets the tone for things to follow. In that sense, Cheteshwar Pujara’s 191 runs in the Adelaide Test were a marker of sorts for the rest of the series in 2018-19.
The right-hander was undoubtedly India's best batter when he scored a fantastic 123 runs in the first innings to take India to 250.
A combined bowling performance from India saw Australia get all out on 235 and India took a slim 15-run lead.
The visitors once again needed a strong batting performance to gain an advantage in the Adelaide Test. For the umpteenth time, it was none other than Pujara, who stood up for India and came up with a gritty 71 runs.
Against the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, Pujara stood firm and smashed nine boundaries, facing 209 balls in the process.
Due to his heroic efforts, India posted 307 in their second innings, setting Australia a competitive target of 323. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Mohammed Shami claimed three wickets each as India registered a famous 31-run win.
The Saurashtra batter was deservingly named the Player of the Match for his significant knocks in both innings.
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