WTC Final: 3 milestones Cheteshwar Pujara can reach

The World Test Championship (WTC) Final against New Zealand presents Cheteshwar Pujara with an opportunity to reach a string of milestones that will cement his name among the pantheon of greats.

India squad for WTC final No.3 batsman has had a reputation for big scores and long innings. Pujara has scored 749 runs against New Zealand at an average of 46.81 from nine matches. The Saurashtra batsman is currently ranked 14th in Tests at present, according to the ICC Player Rankings.

Over the last few years, Pujara has established himself to be a dependable No.3 after Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman for his consistent display of sound technique and temperament.

Come this inaugural edition of the WTC, he will be one of the main players NZ squad for WTC final will look to keep quiet along with the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma.

Ahead of the all-important WTC clash against the Kiwis on June 18 as per WTC final schedule at Southampton followed by a tour of England, here's a look at the milestones he can reach when he's on both the tours.

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#1 A 200 at the WTC will see him equal Gavaskar's 4 200's

A double century against the Kiwis will see Pujara join Sunil Gavaskar with four 200's in Tests. Gavaskar ended his Test career with 10122 runs at an average of 51.12 and a top score of 236*.

Other Indian batsmen on the list include Rahul Dravid (5), Sachin Tendulkar (6) and Kohli (7). Pujara's last double century was against Australia in 2017 which ended in a draw.

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#2 Pujara needs 256 runs to reach 6500 runs in Tests

Pujara is second behind Kohli (7490) for most Test runs in the current team setup and he can reach a landmark 6500 runs in the Test against NZ or when the side meets England for a grueling test series. He already has the distinction of being the eleventh Indian batsman to make 6000 runs in the long format of the game.

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He currently has 6244 runs at an average of 46.6 from 85 matches. Trailing Kohli and Pujara is vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (4583).

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#3 Pujara needs two centuries to reach 20 Test hundreds

Another milestone that could be reached over the course of the WTC final or the England series. Pujara currently has 18 hundreds and 29 fifties in Test cricket and two more centuries will see him inch close to the 23 and 22 tons by Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Azharuddin respectively.