Sports
Pujara achieves rare feat in opening Test vs Sri Lanka (Lead)
Kolkata, Nov 20 (IANS) India’s Test ace Cheteshwar Pujara achieved a rare feat on Monday when he came out to bat with Lokesh Rahul on the final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
The in-form Saurashtra man became only the third Indian cricketer, after head coach Ravi Shastri and M.L. Jaisimha to have batted on all five days of a Test match.
While Jaisimha did it against Australia in 1960, scoring 20 not out and 74, Shastri entered the club in 1984 against England scoring 111 and 7.
Jaisimha was also the first ever batsman to achieve the feat. Interestingly, all these three knocks came at the Eden Gardens.
Across the world, nine batsmen have achieved this feat. Besides the three Indians, Geoffrey Boycott (England), Kim Hughes (Australia), Allan Lamb (England), Adrian Griffith (West Indies), Andrew Flintoff (England) and Alviro Peterson (South Africa) are the other cricketers.
On the first day, he was not out on eight (32 balls) while he scored an unbeaten 39 (70 balls) on Day 2. Pujara could manage just five (15 balls) on the third day and two (nine balls) on Day 4.
On the last day, he got out on 22 to a Suranga Lakmal delivery, adding 20 runs to his overnight score of 2. In the first essay, Pujara top-scored for the hosts with a defiant 52 off 117 balls (10×4) before Lahiru Gamage got his back.
The Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) posted a picture of Pujara and Shastri on their Twitter handle congratulating the former who scored a defiant 52 in the first innings to continue his surge as one of the best in the world in the longest version of the game.
Pujara came out to bat on Day 1 of the Test played at the Eden Gardens here and batted in the first session of the second day also before play had to be called off due to inclement weather.
Pujara batted on Day 3 and came out to bat towards the end of the last session of Day 4 after opener Shikhar Dhawan fell six short of his hundred. He was the overnight batsman (2) with Rahul (73) at stumps on the fourth day.
In the last five innings, the 29-year old had scores of 57, 153, 15, 133, and 8.
Pujara showed superb technique on a green Eden Gardens top to quell the threat of seam and swing and grind out his 15th Test 50.
–IANS
dm/tri/bg
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
