New Delhi, Feb 18, 2023, IANS

New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS): A day after he joined the 100-Test club, India batter Cheteshwar Pujara set an unwanted record, becoming only the second Indian batter and seventh overall to score a zero in his 100th Test match.

The Saurashtra batter, who was felicitated by batting legend Sunil Gavaskar for becoming the 13th Indian cricket to play 100 matches on the opening day of the 2nd Test against Australia on Friday, was trapped lbw by off-spinner Nathan Lyon for a seven-ball duck as India slumped to 88/4 at lunch on Day Two of the second match of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

The 35-year-old thus became the second batter after former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar to score a duck in his 100th Test.

Pujara joined the hall of shame that includes former Australia captains Alan Border and Mark Taylor, former England skipper Alistair Cook and New Zealand captains Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum besides compatriot Vengsarkar.

Cheteshwar Pujara could have actually got out even earlier than he actually did -- for a golden duck -- on the second day of the match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. He had danced down the pitch to play a flick off Lyon but missed it and was trapped lbw. Replays later showed that if Australia had taken the DRS, Pujara could have been out for a golden duck.

Two balls later, Lyon had his man when he got one to turn back into Pujara and hit the front pad below the knee roll. After umpire Nitin Menon rejected the appeal, Australia took the review immediately and got Pujara out for a seven-ball duck as replays showed the ball clipping the leg stump.