In the first Test of Australia's 2016–17 tour of India in Pune, Pujara was dismissed for 6 and 31 in the two innings, with India losing the match cheaply. He played a key role in India's second inning of second Test scoring a crucial 92 in Bangalore, and helped the team win the game. In the third Test, played in Ranchi, Pujara scored 202, his third double-hundred, off 525 balls, in the first innings. In terms of balls faced, it was the longest inning by an Indian batsman. The 11-hour knock included a 199-run partnership with Wriddhiman Saha for the seventh wicket. Following a fightback by Australia in the second innings, the match ended in a draw and Pujara was named man of the match. With the knock, Pujara became the first Indian to score 2,000 runs in an Indian single first-class cricket season. In the ICC Batsman Rankings announced following the game, Pujara was ranked a career-best second. He finished the season with 1,316 runs in Tests, the second most in a single season after Australia's Ricky Ponting (1,483). He also broke the record for the most runs scored in a first-class season by an Indian. At the end of the season, he was placed fourth in the Batsman Rankings for Tests.