Cheteshwar Pujara: A Test Career Defined by Grit, Patience, and Longevity

A Solid Career Record

Cheteshwar Pujara finished his Test career with 7195 runs in 103 matches, placing him eighth among India’s highest run-scorers in the format. At No. 3, he was second only to Rahul Dravid with 6529 runs, underlining his importance at the top of the order.

More Than Runs – The Art of Occupying the Crease

What made Pujara stand out was not just the runs but the sheer time he spent at the crease.

• 16,217 balls faced in his career – more than all but four batters (Joe Root, Alastair Cook, Steven Smith, Azhar Ali) during his playing span.

• Dismissed once every 98.3 deliveries, ranking fifth among contemporaries with 5000+ runs.

• This ability to absorb pressure allowed India’s stroke-players to flourish against tiring bowlers.

Comparisons With Teammates

Among modern Indian greats:

• Virat Kohli (8479 runs) lasted 88 balls per dismissal.

• Ajinkya Rahane (5066 runs) lasted 78.5 balls per dismissal.

• Pujara was far ahead at 98.3 balls per dismissal, making him India’s toughest batter to dislodge in that era.

His Greatest Feats – Australia the Highlight

Australia brought out Pujara’s best:

• 993 runs in 11 Tests at 47.28, facing 2657 deliveries at a strike rate of 37.37.

• Averaged 126.5 balls per dismissal in Australia – the best among all overseas batters since 1990 (minimum 15 innings).

• His peak came in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 521 runs in seven innings, facing an incredible 1258 balls, and winning two Player-of-the-Match awards.

The Partnership Builder

Pujara’s value extended beyond personal runs:

• While he scored 7195 runs, India scored 16,258 runs in partnerships with him at the crease.

• That’s 30.4% of India’s team runs in his batting innings – higher than Sachin Tendulkar (29.7%) and Virat Kohli (29.1%).

• Only Dravid (36.1%) and Sunil Gavaskar (34.9%) have a higher share.

In terms of balls faced, Pujara was present for 33.2% of India’s total deliveries in his batting innings, showing how crucial his presence was in stabilizing the side.

The Decline in Later Years

The last phase of his career, however, was less prolific:

• Since 2018: 49 Tests, average of 34.13, only five centuries in 86 innings.

• First half (2009–2017): averaged 52.96, scoring a hundred every 6.4 innings.

• Second half (2018–2023): averaged 34.13, a hundred every 17.2 innings.

This decline dropped his overall career average from nearly 53 to 43.6.

Still Ahead of His Successors

Even after his dip in form, Pujara’s value remained clear:

• In his last 24 Tests, he averaged 31.51, facing 81.2 balls per dismissal.

• India’s No. 3s since his last match (24 Tests, 45 innings) have averaged 31.95 but lasted only 56.3 balls per dismissal – proving Pujara’s presence was harder to replace than it seemed.

Legacy of Patience and Resilience

Pujara may not have the flair or strike rate of modern batters, but his mental toughness, patience, and ability to grind attacks made him one of India’s finest Test specialists. With 19 hundreds and nearly 7200 runs, he will be remembered as the man who embodied the old-school Test match ethos – fighting it out ball by ball, session by session.