Australia vs India 2018 1st Test: Cheteshwar Pujara Hits Record-Breaking 16th Century to Revive Visitors, Completes 5000 Test Runs For Virat Kohli-Led India

1st Test: 'Perfect' Pujara Slams First Ton in Australia to Revive India, Completes 5000 Test Runs

Australia vs India 1st Test Adelaide: Cheteshwar Pujara not only brought up his 16th Test ton but also completed 14,000 First Class runs. He also reached 5000 Test runs, he brought up his hundred with a flick on the leg side of Mitchell Starc. He picked two runs and that took him to the three-figure score. He took his time as wickets fell around him, but he never got flustered by what was happening around him. He also hit two sixes during the knock, which is not something one would associate with the Saurashtrian. He also became the fourth No 3 from India to score a century in Australia.

Indian No.3 batsmen to score a century in Australia in Tests:

M Amarnath, Perth, 1977
M Amarnath, Sydney, 1986
R Dravid, Adelaide, 2003
VVS Laxman, Sydney, 2008
Cheteshwar Pujara, Adelaide, 2018*#INDvAUS

— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) December 6, 2018

Dravid and Pujara have reached their milestones of 3000 runs, 4000 runs, and 5000 runs in Tests in the same number of innings, which is a stunning coincidence.

This is also his third century against Australia and the first in Australia. Pujara departed for 123 in the fag end of the day, but his knock sure saved the blushes for the visitor’s as he has at least given the bowlers something to work with.

At Stumps on Day 1, India was 250 for 9.

Earlier in the day, Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first in the scorching morning at Adelaide, India sent their right-hand batsmen KL Rahul and Murali Vijay to open the innings. With some accurate bowling and brilliant fielding efforts, Australian bowlers easily unsettled the opening pair who looked tentative on the crease.

India lost their first wicket in the form of KL Rahul who played a loose shot off Josh Hazelwood’s delivery and was caught by Aaron Finch at the third slip. Rahul departed at a paltry score of 2 runs.