Cheteshwar Pujara on the eve of his 100th Test: “My dream is to win a WTC final for the Indian team”

Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who will be playing his 100th Test on Friday, February 17, has revealed that his dream is to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the country.

When India face Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the second Test, Pujara will become the 13th player to feature in 100 Test matches for India. The 35-year-old has been a key member of the team’s red-ball squad over the last decade. In 99 matches, he has scored 7021 runs at an average of 44.16, with 19 hundreds and 34 fifties to his name.

Addressing a press conference ahead of his landmark Test, Pujara said that while he is excited about the big occasion, there is a lot more that he wants to achieve. He elaborated:

"There is a lot more to achieve. I am definitely satisfied and really excited to play this hundredth Test match. But at the same time, we are playing an important series. So, hopefully, we win this Test match and move on to win another Test match which will ensure we will qualify for the WTC final.

“My dream is to win a WTC final for the Indian team, which didn't happen in the last final. But hopefully, once we qualify, we move towards that.”

India went down to New Zealand by eight wickets in the inaugural WTC final in Southampton in June 2021.

Meanwhile, the No. 3 batter also thanked his family for supporting him on his cricketing journey. Expressing gratitude, Pujara said:

"Playing 100 Tests means a lot to me and my family, my father has played an important role, he will be here tomorrow. I am thankful to my family for their support.”

Pujara was dismissed for 7 in the first Test against Australia in Nagpur, even as India went on to clinch the contest by an innings and 132 runs.

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“It was challenging” - Pujara on being left out of the team

Following an extended lean spell, the veteran cricketer was dropped from the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka last year. He won his place back following a stellar county stint with Sussex. Asked how he dealt with the tough phase, Pujara revealed:

"It was challenging. I was playing county and was in constant touch with Rahul bhai and Vicky paaji (Vikram Rathour) on areas I need to work and there was clear communication on that."

The defiant batter termed patience and hard work as the key to his success. Pujara said:

"Patience does not come on its own; you need mental strength for that. Preparations is the key, I scored runs at junior cricket, age group cricket. It requires hard work. Over a period of time and I think when you focus on your game, eventually you will succeed.”

Pujara made his Test debut against Australia in Bangalore in October 2010. He scored a memorable 72 in the second innings to guide India to a seven-wicket victory in a chase of 207.