Pujara enters elite list with 50th first class century

Cheteshwar Pujara is fourth on the list of active players with most first-class centuries behind Alastair Cook (65), Wasim Jaffer (57) and Hashim Amla (52).

Cheteshwar Pujara has scored over 15,000 runs in his first-class career (File Photo).

Cheteshwar Pujara on Saturday joined a select group of cricketing greats by smashing his 50th first-class century during Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy group B match against Karnataka in Rajkot.

Pujara warmed up nicely for the upcoming Test series in New Zealand with a stylish 162 off 238 balls that had 17 fours and a six.

Pujara joined an elite list of nine Indians led by Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

The 31-year-old Pujara, who has 18 Test centuries to his credit, is fourth on the list of active players with most first-class centuries behind former England skipper Alastair Cook (65), former South Africa captain Hashim Amla (52) and India’s domestic cricket great Wasim Jaffer (57).

Among currently active Test players, the nearest contender to Pujara is Australia’s Steve Smith, who has 42 first-class centuries while his India teammates Virat Kohli (34) and Ajinkya Rahane (32) are much behind.

Pujara has already scored more than 15,000 runs in his first-class career, during which he has played 197 matches.