India vs South Africa: Top 5 Test centuries by Indians in South Africa

4. Cheteshwar Pujara’s 153 – 1st Test at Johannesburg, 2013-14

Cheteshwar Pujara bettered Dravid’s score at the very ground in Johannesburg when he scored an impressive 153 off 270 balls (21 fours) in the second innings to put India in a commanding position. Virat Kohli had also scored 96 in the second essay following his 119 in the first, adding 222 runs for the third wicket.

After a cautious start, Pujara gradually cut loose and his ecstasy was visible after he reached the three-figure mark, making an emphatic statement. India had set up a target of 458 for the hosts but their inadequate firepower could not wrap up the game as South Africa finished at 450 for the loss of 7 wickets, stopping just eight runs short of victory in the stipulated time.

The game is called one of the “closest draws” and will be remembered for Pujara’s first overseas hundred, just like Dravid’s 148 in the same ground 16 seasons ago. It is also considered a special inning as it had come in the wake of the battering that India had witnessed in the One-Day International series preceding it.