Virat Kohli thanks Cheteshwar Pujara for ‘making my job easier’

Batting maestro Virat Kohli on Tuesday thanked his longtime India teammate Cheteshwar Pujara for making his job "easier" in the Test batting line-up with the two forming a robust middle-order pair for nearly a decade.

Pujara, 37, called time on his illustrious career on Sunday, having started his journey way back in 2010 against Australia at Bengaluru.

"Thank you for making my job easier at (number) 4 pujji. You've had an amazing career. Congratulations and wish you the best for what's ahead. God bless @cheteshwarpujara," Kohli, who announced his Test retirement in May this year, wrote on Instagram.

Kohli and Pujara added 3,513 runs in 83 Test innings with seven century stands and 18 half-century partnerships while averaging 43.37.

Pujara's retirement evoked an outpouring of admiration from the cricketing fraternity with former teammates and coaches saluting his grit, determination and selflessness that defined his Test career.

Pujara played 103 Tests and scored 7,195 runs at an average of 43.6. He has made 19 centuries along with 35 half-centuries.

The Saurashtra batter was a vital cog in Kohli's Test side that secured a historic win in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018-19.

During that tour of Australia, Pujara scored 521 runs in seven innings as India won the series 2-1.