Cheteshwar Pujara breaks Dravid’s record of playing longest Test innings
BCCI
Cheteshwar Pujara has broken an all-time Indian record of the highest balls played in a single Test innings overtaking Rahul Dravid’s record of playing 495 balls on his way to 270 runs against Pakistan in 2004. Pujara, in his ongoing innings, played a total of 525 balls scoring 202 runs.
After Rahul Dravid's retirement, India’s biggest issue was their inability to develop a No.3 who could reach the astronomic standards set by Dravid over 16 years. Cheteshwar Pujara raised the hopes of the entire nation during the home Test series against Australia in 2010 with a perfect water-tight technique and on his debut orchestrated India's seven-wicket victory against the visitors with a composed 72-run innings in the second innings. And from then, he has just gone on to become better and better.
Staying true to his unfazed nature, Pujara showed another glimpse of his talent and ability to construct the perfect Test innings despite losing partners one after the other. In the ongoing Test, he has stood tall and forced the Australian bowlers to toil for their money and in the process broken the record of his idol, Rahul Dravid, for playing highest number of balls in a single innings by an Indian.
While Pujara now holds the Indian record, Sir Leonard Hutton holds the record for the most number of balls played in an innings having played 847 balls against Australia in 1938.
