Importance of Cheteshwar Pujara: Fans hail India's lone warrior in Kolkata Test

New Delhi: Last year, India captain Virat Kohli said that Cheteshwar Pujara needs to work on his strike rate to cement a place in the XI. And he was even dropped. (LIVE BLOG | SCORECARD)

On Friday (November 17), as India fight to save the series opener against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Pujara showed his class, and importance, to a team which is on a relentless winning run.

Today, his effort reminds us of that Anil Kumble statement: "In the team you need different characters, you need different quality players, you need different players with skill sets which are suited to challenges in a Test match. Because every session can be different in a Test match, we have seen that. And that`s the beauty about Test cricket. From my point of view, strike rates are only relevant to bowlers in Test cricket, not the batsmen."

Yes, the former coach was defending Pujara when Kohli raised the issue after India's tour of West Indies last year.

With rain continuing to play spoilsport in Kolkata, India's famed top order crumbled. When the rain stopped play on Day 2 after 32.5 overs' play, India were precariously placed at 74/5.

But there's Puajara, holding the fort with an unbeaten 47 off 102 balls with the help of nine fours. Such is the plight of other Indian batsmen on a devilish green top, which was purportedly prepared considering the upcoming tour of South Africa, that none managed a double-digit figure.

KL Rahul (0), Shikhar Dhawan (8), Virat Kohli (0), Ajinkya Rahane (4) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4) were the wickets fallen.

And fans took to micro-blogging site Twitter to hail India's lone warrior, and reading some of these posts will make your day.

@virendersehwag "Be Still Like a Mountain, And Flow Like a River" This quote is appropriate to Pujara 47(101) #INDvsSL — SANDEEP PANDEY (@95SANDEEPPANDEY) November 17, 2017

@cheteshwar1 playing smartly and calmly against Sri Lanka in 1st Test Match and giving brilliant fight to Team Sri Lanka!!!
.
.
Pujara - One of the GREATEST BATSMAN OF ALL TIME!!! In test Cricket 
.
.#Cricket pic.twitter.com/FDu2j8QrIN — Ramakrishnan(@DhanushRam45) November 17, 2017

Pujara is Key!! — Karabo Gungubele (@DJDEET_KHANDA) November 17, 2017

It will be too early to say better as both are modern Indian greats, I would say Pujara is more reliable than Kohli in tests.. Similar comparison to Dravid and Tendulkar — yatin tuli (@cricketyatin) November 17, 2017

Cheteshwar Pujara is fighting a lone battle. #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/utKCKhYKsF — #INDvSL #INDvSL (@INDCricNews) November 17, 2017

@imVkohli had sometime back told Pujara that he needs to improve his strike rate....in Kolkata Pujara has shown his class...he is not cheezy as Dhawanz n Pandyaz who make all the noises...but goes around playng his cricket well. — Sanjay Sarkhel (@ssarkhel10) November 17, 2017

chetswar pujara is nawab of test cricket — avisheksanyal (@avisheksanyal5) November 17, 2017

Bhagwan bharose nhi..pujara bharose virat..
Pujara jan lga do aaj to.. — Tanavi (@Tanavi13) November 17, 2017

More than technically, Temperamentally - he's an exception in world cricket today. Test cricket of course. #Pujara #EdenGardens #INDvsSL https://t.co/TZLosqivtO — Suraj Tiwari (@surajtofficial) November 17, 2017

After hours of rain delay, Sri Lanka won the toss yesterday and asked India to bat first. Then Suranga Lakmal toyed with Indian top order, removing Rahul off the very first ball of the match, which was followed by the wickets of Dhawan and Kohli.

When bad light stopped play on Day 1, Lakmal already got figures of 6-6-0-3.

By the way, Lankans are playing their first Test match at Eden Gardens, and are looking for their maiden on Indian soil.

Last time the two sides engaged in a Test series, India whitewashed the Lankans 3-0 in their own backyard.