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Batting maestro Virat Kohli on Tuesday thanked his longtime India teammate Cheteshwar Pujara for making his job “easier” in the Test batting line-up with the two forming a robust middle-order pair for nearly a decade.
Pujara, 37, called time on his illustrious career on Sunday, having started his journey way back in 2010 against Australia at Bengaluru.
“Thank you for making my job easier at (number) 4 pujji. You’ve had an amazing career. Congratulations and wish you the best for what’s ahead. God bless @cheteshwarpujara,” Kohli, who announced his Test retirement this year in May, wrote on his Instagram story.
Kohli and Pujara added 3,513 runs in 83 Test innings with seven century stands and 18 half-century partnerships while averaging 43.37.
Pujara’s retirement evoked an outpouring of admiration from the cricketing fraternity with former teammates and coaches saluting his grit, determination and selflessness that defined his Test career.
Pujara’s legacy
Pujara played 103 Tests and scored 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60. He has made 19 centuries along with 35 half-centuries.
The Saurashtra batter was a vital cog in Kohli’s Test side that secured a historic win in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018-19.
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During that tour of Australia, Pujara scored 521 runs in seven innings as India won the series 2-1.
In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Pujara scored 271 runs from four matches at an average of 33.87, with three fifties and a best score of 77.
In first-class cricket, he has played 278 matches scoring 21,301 runs with 352 being his highest. Pujara averaged 51.82 in first-class cricket, notching up 66 centuries and 81 half-centuries.
Pujara last played for India during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at the Oval, London, in 2023.
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“As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team. Little did I know then that this game would give me so much: invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation,” Pujara had said on Monday in this social media announcement.
“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field – it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket.”
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