Reliable Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday. Pujara, who played 103 Test matches for India, played many memorable innings in his career and remained the backbone of the Indian team's batting for a long time.
Sports News: Former Indian team batsman Cheteshwar Pujara recently made a big revelation after retiring from international cricket. He revealed the names of the four bowlers who were most challenging for him to face: Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, James Anderson, and Pat Cummins. Pujara announced his retirement from Indian cricket via social media on Sunday.
His last match for India was the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023, in which the team faced defeat against Australia. After this, Pujara did not return to the Indian team, and recently he was not included in the West Zone team for the Duleep Trophy either.
These Four Legendary Bowlers Were a Challenge for Pujara
In an interview given to the Times of India, Pujara clearly said that even though he has faced many great bowlers in the world, there were four bowlers against whom it was always challenging to stand. These include:
- Dale Steyn (South Africa) – One of the most dangerous fast bowlers in the world, who troubled batsmen a lot with his pace and swing. Pujara's average against Steyn was only 30 runs per innings. Steyn dismissed him 6 times.
- Morne Morkel (South Africa) – Famous for his bounce and fast pace, Morkel was a big challenge for Pujara. His average against him was only 19, and Morkel also sent him to the pavilion 6 times.
- James Anderson (England) – One of the greatest bowlers in Test cricket, Anderson troubled Pujara the most. Anderson dismissed Pujara 12 times, and his average against him was only 21.80.
- Pat Cummins (Australia) – Current Australian captain and world-winning bowler Pat Cummins also proved to be a headache for Pujara. Cummins dismissed Pujara 8 times.
Pujara's International Career
Cheteshwar Pujara's career will be counted among the golden chapters of Indian Test cricket.
- He played 103 Test matches for India.
- During this time, 7195 runs came off his bat, which he scored at an average of 43.60.
- He scored 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries in his career.
- His journey in ODIs was short. He played only 5 matches and scored 51 runs.
- He never got a chance to play for India in T20 Internationals.
Great Journey in First Class Cricket
If we talk about first-class cricket, Pujara's career has been even more impressive.
- He scored 21,301 runs in 278 matches.
- His average here was 51.82.
- 66 centuries and 81 half-centuries are recorded in his name in first-class cricket.
Pujara played his last match for India in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023. India faced defeat in that match played against Australia in London. Since then, Pujara could not become a part of the Indian team. Recently, he was not given a place in the West Zone team for the Duleep Trophy either.
