Cheteshwar Pujara gives up matching a ‘flying’ Virat Kohli between the wickets

Virat Kohli’s fitness standards are nothing new to write about. And the cricketing world got a glimpse of the Indian captain’s incredible fitness levels when he kept on cruising between the wickets in the third Test against Australia in Melbourne, even leaving his partner in a discomfort. Cheteshwar Pujara completed three runs with his skipper but gave up the fourth even if Kohli was in his energetic best to complete it as well.

Pujara and Kohli put up a crucial partnership of 170 runs in 68 overs for the third wicket at the MCG to help India put up a good total of 443 before unleashing their in-form bowlers to go after the Aussies. While Pujara picked up his second century (106) of the series after the match-winning ton in Adelaide, Kohli fell for 82 but only before giving his team a strong base to build up a formidable total.

It was in the 120th over when the duo was batting that Kohli flicked pacer Pat Cummins off towards the deep mid-wicket boundary. He took off instantly, making his partner run for three but while Pujara started slowing down towards the end of the third, Kohli was in a position to complete the fourth. Pujara was yet to complete his third run then and gestured at his captain saying it was enough. The episode left the commentators in splits.

Pujara, the man with a history of run outs

Pujara has a history of getting run out often in Tests, whether he is batting on zero or hundred. There have been instances in the past where he got run out while batting with Kohli. In South Africa earlier this year, Pujara became the first Indian batsman to get run out in a single Test match twice. Even in the first Test in Adelaide, Pujara got run out after scoring 123.

The Kohli era has seen Indian cricket putting a firm emphasis on fitness and making the yo-yo test compulsory and disallowing the players who fail it, irrespective of the formats.

That slow mate that can't keep up with you between wickets 🐢🐢🐢

LIVE #AUSvIND: https://t.co/zixhmu24lv pic.twitter.com/eQdCPGHPny

— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) December 27, 2018

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