‘You’ve put your body on the line,’ Sunil Gavaskar says in a motivational speech as he welcomes Cheteshwar Pujara to the 100-Test club.

“You’ve taken the blows, you got up, and you made bowlers earn your wicket. “Every run you scored is a big plus for India,” Gavaskar said.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar congratulated Cheteshwar Pujara on becoming the 13th player to play 100 Test matches for India ahead of India’s second Test against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

The dependable cricketer made his red-ball debut in October 2010 and has since scored 7021 runs in the longest format of the game. Pujara has been a vital member of the team for over a decade and has excelled not only at home but also in foreign settings.

Gavaskar acknowledged this and praised Pujara for working hard, believing in himself, and remaining focused on the task at hand. He also mentioned how, despite many ups and downs in his career, he always got back up and proved himself.

“When we were kids, whether we were playing at home, on the streets, or in the maidans, we all dreamed of playing for India. It’s an incredible feeling that you want to repeat over and over. It takes a lot of hard work, determination, and self-belief to pull yourself out of a rut and then stay focused on getting the job done. When you bat, it’s as if you’re carrying the Indian flag with you. “You’ve put your life on the line for India,” Gavaskar said during the ceremony.

“You’ve taken the blows, you got up, and you made bowlers earn your wicket. Every run you scored is a huge boost for India. You’ve shown what hard work, self-belief, and dreams can accomplish. “Welcome to the 100th Test club,” said the 73-year-old.

Despite the fact that 12 other Indian cricketers played 100 Test matches, none of them scored a century on the big day. Gavaskar prayed that Pujara would change that and be the first to do so.

“I wish and pray that you become the first Indian to score a big hundred in your 100th Test and lay the groundwork for yet another victory in Delhi,” said the legendary cricketer.