Cheteshwar Pujara, born on 25 January 1988 in Rajkot, Gujarat, was brought up in a middle-class family. His father was a cricketer and coach. For him, cricket was not glamour, it was discipline - a form of art. His father molded him, from holding a bat to defending it like a wall. The journey of Cheteshwar was a reflection of his father’s patience and dream.
The journey traces back to the days of the U-19 World Cup, where Pujara ended up being the highest scorer of the tournament. Even in the Ranji Trophy, he was a nightmare for bowlers - a man who could bat for straight two days. He scored triple centuries for Saurashtra like he was born to bat.
Map to the Internationals
Debut against Australia in 2010 at Bangalore. He replaced Rahul Dravid at the No. 3 position, a rare move by the team that pushed Dravid down to No. 5. Pujara grabbed the No. 3 spot and scored 72 in the second innings, as if claiming himself the successor of Rahul’s position. After Dravid retired in 2012, Pujara cemented himself at No. 3. People started calling him “The Wall 2.0.” He scored 159 against New Zealand, and things went higher when he smashed 206 vs England and a double ton against mighty Australia.
The Peak — The Wall 2.0
The man faced 525 balls against Australia in Ranchi, the longest innings by an Indian ever. He absorbed 1,258 balls against Australia’s finest bowlers. Three centuries, India’s first-ever series win in Australia - and Pujara was the man behind it: the story of the 2018 - 19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Pujara scored 521 runs at an average of 74 in the series. Captain Virat Kohli stated, “Pujara was the difference in this series.”
Headlines went dramatic: “The Great Wall Reloaded,” “The Monk Who Broke Australia.” Pujara wasn’t just writing his name in newspapers, but carving it into the minds of people.
The Questions
People questioned his strike rate, his defensive game, but every time he pulled a classic rescue for the team. 2021 Gabba series: his body became the wall - the bag that absorbed every bouncer, every bruise and pain - but he didn’t flinch once. He kept batting, India chased down 328, and history was created.
Pujara was a pure Test match batter - his compact defense, his calm head, the literal red flag for bowlers. He won the Arjuna Award in 2013 for sports excellence. He scored multiple centuries, became the backbone of India’s greatest wins, even made mighty Aussies cry. He may not have had the aggression of Virat or the pull shot of Rohit - but he was timeless. His jersey often coloured in red, bruised by seam marks, stood witness to the greatest innings.
The Wall of Indian Test Cricket after Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara is the reason people still fall in love with those in white jerseys. A tribute to a dependable batsman - a legendary figure in India’s Test history.
