3 Indians apart from Cheteshwar Pujara who could go on to play 100 Tests
The second Test between India and Australia in Delhi is set to be a special one for Cheteshwar Pujara, as it marks his 100th appearance in the format. The Saurashtra batter is set to become the 13th Indian to reach the landmark and the first since Virat Kohli got there against Sri Lanka last year.
Pujara made his debut in 2010 in Bengaluru, and incidentally, it came against Australia. Over time, he would go on to establish himself as a vital cog in the Indian top order, even as he bounced back from career-hampering knee injuries.
Pujara has scored 7021 runs, with 34 half-centuries and 19 hundreds to his name in his 99 outings in the format thus far. Despite the fact that he hasn't played too many white-ball games at the international level, this achievement is testament to Pujara's skill and dedication at keeping himself fit and ready to deliver whenever his team needs him to.
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As Friday, February 17, marks a special day in Pujara's career, we look at three other Indians who could potentially join him with 100 caps in Tests.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
The most capped Test player in the current Indian setup after Virat Kohli and Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin, has played 89 matches in the longest format thus far. The ace off-spinning all-rounder stands a solid chance of playing 100 of them himself and could be the next Indian to breach that landmark after Pujara.
Even though Ashwin is 36 years old, he continues to go from strength to strength and remains one of India's greatest match-winners. He is expected to play the remaining three games in the series against Australia and that'll take him even closer to the milestone.
#2 Rishabh Pant
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He might be out of action for a while owing to the horrific car crash he suffered, but Rishabh Pant ought to walk back into India's XI once he recovers fully.
The ace wicket-keeper batter is not only the best in the country in that role, but is also arguably one of the best batters in the world at the moment in the format. His ability to counter-attack under pressure sets him apart and he has excelled in the role on a regular basis now.
Pant is also just 25 and has a long career ahead of him. Having played 33 Tests already, expect him to play plenty more and get to that magical 100-mark in due course of time.
#3 Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill's Test career hasn't quite taken off just yet, despite announcing his arrival in grand style during his first series in Australia. While he is a first-choice player in the ODI XI, he remains a backup opening option at this point in whites.
Having said that, the Indian Test team is set for a transition with some of their key batters well on the wrong side of their thirties. Whether as an opener or in the middle-order, it is hard to see Gill not getting a regular run soon enough. It is even harder to fathom the prospect of him not piling up runs for fun.
Simply put, Gill is a generational talent. All of 23, he is bound to add many more caps to his 13 Tests thus far and could very well take that tally to 100 as well.
Which other Indian do you think will reach the landmark of 100 matches in the longest format? Let us know in the comments section below!