Cheteshwar Pujara achieves rare feat

Kolkata, Nov 20 - India's Test ace Cheteshwar Pujara achieved a rare feat on Monday when he came out to bat with Lokesh Rahul on the fifth day of the first rubber against Sri Lanka.

The in-form Saurashtra man became the third Indian cricketer, after head coach Ravi Shastri and M.L. Jaisimha to have batted on all five days of a Test match.

The Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) posted a picture of Pujara and Shastri on their Twitter handle congratulating the former who scored a defiant 52 in the first innings to continue his surge as one of the best in the world in the longest version of the game.

Pujara came out to bat on Day 1 of the Test played at the Eden Gardens here and batted in the first session of the second day also before play had to be called off due to inclement weather.

Pujara batted on Day 3 and came out to bat towards the end of the last session of Day 4 after opener Shikhar Dhawan fell six short of his hundred. He was the overnight batsman (2) with Rahul (73) at stumps on the fourth day.

On the first day, he was not out on eight while he scored an unbeaten 39 on Day two. Pujara could manage just five on the third day and two on day 4.

In the last five innings, the 29-year old had scores of 57, 153, 15, 133, and 8.

Pujara showed superb technique on a green Eden Gardens top to quell the threat of seam and swing and grind out his 15th Test 50.

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IANS