Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir had the ultimate praise for the recently retired Cheteshwar Pujara in 2017. Gambhir called Pujara arguably India's top Test batter, adding that the right-hander was far more consistent than Virat Kohli.Gambhir's remarks came after Pujara had scored centuries in each of the first two Tests in Sri Lanka. The now-37-year-old was in the middle of a purple patch and eventually finished with an incredible average of 67.05 in 11 Tests in 2017.Pujara had also averaged an excellent 55.73 in 11 Tests the previous year, following an average of almost 50 in 2015.In a conversation with DNA in August 2017, Gambhir said (via News18):"We don't give too much importance to Test cricket, and that is the reason. It is all about white-ball cricket and what people do in ODIs and T20s. But yes, when it comes to red-ball cricket, he is right at the top. Maybe far more consistent than Kohli or Dhawan."He added:"Look, one thing which is really important to note is that he's playing only one form of the game. He can actually keep his mind pretty stable while playing and preparing only for five-day cricket. Had he been playing One-Dayers and T20Is as well, it would've been much more difficult for him, because sometimes you have to change your mindset."Despite Gambhir's claims, it is worthwhile noting that Kohli was in even better form than Pujara in 2016 and 2017. The former Indian captain averaged over 75 in Tests in the 2016 and 2017 seasons with nine combined centuries.Cheteshwar Pujara did not play a single Test in the Gautam Gambhir coaching eraCheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket on Sunday, August 24. The 37-year-old finished his illustrious Test career with 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries, in 103 outings. However, his last Test appearance came in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Even after Gambhir took over as Team India head coach at the same time last year, Pujara could not find a place in the Test side. The side has played four Test series under Gambhir, winning only one against Bangladesh. They recently achieved a 2-2 draw in England, following dismal 0-3 and 1-3 defeats to New Zealand and Australia, respectively. Cheteshwar Pujara also walks away as one of India's most accomplished first-class batters, scoring over 21,000 runs with 66 centuries in 178 matches.