Pujara becomes 19th Indian to hit double century in Tests

Cheteshwar Pujara on Friday joined a select band of 18 other countrymen to score a double century in Test cricket.

Ahmedabad: Cheteshwar Pujara today joined a select band of 18 other countrymen to score a double century in Test cricket.

Pujara`s double century is the first by an Indian in nearly two years. Sachin Tendulkar`s 214 versus Australia at Bangalore in October 2010 was the last occasion when an Indian batsman had made a double hundred in Test cricket. He also became the sixth batsman from India to compile a double century against England ? the others being Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (203 not out in 1963-64 at Delhi), Sunil Gavaskar (221 at the Oval, London in 1979), Gundappa Viswanath (222 at Chennai in 1981-82), Vinod Kambli (224 at Mumbai in 1992-93) and Rahul Dravid (217 at the Oval, London in 2002). Some of the notable others who have scored double century for India in Test matches are Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Vinoo Mankad, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffer, Navjyot Sidhu, Anshuman Gaekwad, Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar. The likes of Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid, Kambli and Sehwag have multiple double tons. Pujara, who made his maiden Test hundred (159) two Test matches ago against New Zealand at Hyderabad in August, is widely believed to be the ideal replacement for Rahul Dravid. The youngster has shown the same sort of abilities, that the now retired Dravid possessed, in home conditions in his fledgling international career. But a sterner test of his skills will, perhaps, come when India tours South Africa next season. PTI