Cheteshwar Pujara picks Gabba 2021 win as his favourite overseas triumph for India
The Indian batter has 6792 runs to his name in 96 Tests at 43.8.
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Aug 25, 2022 1:59 pm
Cheteshwar Pujara: (Image Source: Twitter)
Cheteshwar Pujara is among the best Test cricketers India have ever produced. The star middle-order batter is known for his grind and temperament in the traditional format of the game. With an International career spanning over a decade, Pujara has been involved in many historic overseas victories for India.
The 34-year-old played a vital inning in the Johannesburg Test match against South Africa in January 2018. Pujara fought hard on the surface with a lot of uneven bounce and made a well-complied half-century. The veteran batter was also the chief architect of India’s historic series win on Australian soil in the 2018/19 season, scoring 521 runs in seven innings of four matches at an average of 74.43.
However, none of the above were Pujara’s favourite overseas Test victory, and the win that remains closest to his heart is the Gabba victory in January 2021. This was revealed in the Q&A session on Twitter when CricTracker asked the senior Test batter which was his favourite overseas Test victory, to which he picked the Gabba Test match of 2021.
In the final Test of the series, India needed 328 runs to win on the final day of the match in Brisbane. The ace Indian batter scored a gritty 56 runs from 211 balls to provide the much-needed stability to the Indian innings. Pujara took close to ten hits, one that took off his stem guard and one that nearly broke his finger but he kept the Baggy Greens at bay.
Apart from Pujara, Shubman Gill (91) and Rishabh Pant (89 not out) played a big role in taking India closer to the required total. The youngsters’ fearless approach took the hosts by surprise and they made sure that India not only challenged the Aussies but also win the game.
With this game, India ended Australia’s 33-year dominance at the Gabba and sealed the series 2-1, retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Thus, the Indian team also ended up registering consecutive Test series victories on Australian soil. Pujara finished the 2020/21 Australia Test series with 271 runs and faced 928 deliveries.
