'It’s a big achievement' - Head coach Rahul Dravid lauds Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of 100th Test

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid hailed veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of his 100th Test match, which is slated to begin on February 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Calling it a "big achievement", Dravid mentioned that playing 100 Tests is a reflectin of his longevity and Pujara has been sensational in terms of his resilience and fitness.

Notably, the top-order batter has scored 7021 runs in 99 Tests so far. He was dismissed rather early in the first Test in Nagpur against the Pat Cummins-led side, but would be hoping to make a solid comeback in his 100th Test. Meanwhile, ahead of the second Test, Dravid stated the difficulties to play Test cricket for so long and how Pujara has overcome everything to achieve great things for the country.

“It’s a big achievement. You need talent to reach this level. But there are many other things. Playing 100 Tests is a reflection of your longevity. There are a lot of things in it - your fitness, resilience, ability to handle success, failure. When you play 100 Tests, it can’t happen that you haven’t seen ups and downs," Dravid told press.

"You have to overcome the ups and downs. Various questions are asked of you, on the field and off it. You need at least 10 years to play 100 Tests. What Pujara has done over the last 13-14 years is something big. It’s a tribute to his skill obviously, but so many other things,” he added.

Everyone is happy to see him play 100 Tests: Dravid

Dravid stated that the Rajkot-born cricketer is very popular in the dressing room and thus, everyone is elated to see Pujara play 100 Test matches. The 50-year-old added that he hopes that the cricketer not only plays well in the second Test against Australia but in all the coming matches as well.

“He is a very popular player in the team, so everyone is happy to see him play 100 Tests. Hopefully not only in this Test match, but upcoming ones as well, he keeps performing really well as he has been doing. In the last decade, he has played some very important knocks for the country to win matches and series for the country. He has been a very important player in the team over last 13-14 years. We are happy to celebrate this moment with him,” Dravid added.

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