India’s batting barnacle Cheteshwar Pujara was roped in by Sussex earlier this year for the 2022 County Championship in England. The legendary batter, having already played for County teams like Derbyshire (2014), Yorkshire (2015 and 2018) and Nottinghamshire (2017) before, made his debut for Sussex on April 14 against Derbyshire in a Division Two match-up.
Pujara impressed one-and-all in his maiden outing for Sussex. The 34-year-old showed no first-game jitters as he punched out a match-saving unbeaten 201, a ton which also ended his 52-inning century drought in first-class cricket.
He later carried his newfound batting tune into the subsequent matches for his side, plundering four tons in total and converting two of them into double centuries.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s impact for Sussex in the 2022 County Championship
Cheteshwar Pujara entered the 2022 Championship with a below-par County record. Before his signing with Sussex, the right-hander could only manage 988 runs across 36 innings at an average of 29.33 for his last three County teams.
Moreover, a string of low scores in Tests also saw him dropped from India’s home series against Sri Lanka in March this year.
Facing one of the worst batting slumps of his career, the Saurashtra-based batsman yielded impressive numbers for Sussex. Pujara plundered centuries in each of the first four matches he played for Sussex, and two of his tons turned out to be match-saving efforts.
So far this year, Cheteshwar Pujara has hammered 720 runs in eight innings with four centuries at a Bradman-Esque average of 120. He is known for his defensive technique and occupying long hours at the crease.
Pujara defied himself during his breath-taking knock against Middlesex. He hammered a rebellious 170 not out from just 197 balls, belting 22 fours and three sixes.
Despite Cheteshwar Pujara’s golden patch with the bat, Sussex is yet to register a win in this year’s competition. However, his match-saving efforts ensured that his side does not remain at the bottom of the table.
They are placed seventh on the Division Two points table, just ahead of Leicestershire. Pujara is now expected to turn up against Glamorgan for his side’s next match on June 12 in Cardiff.
Pujara’s successful County stint might trigger a possible Team India call-up
Having remained unsold at the TATA IPL 2022 auction, Cheteshwar Pujara pursued the 2022 County Championship in a bid to knock on the selector’s door before India’s one-off Test match in England later this year.
Team India is currently scheduled to tour England in July to play a three-match T20I and a three-match ODI series. The tour will also include a one-off Test match between the two sides, which will conclude the five-match series that was played in August-September last year. Team India led the series 2-1 before COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp triggered a last-minute reschedule.
Interestingly, Cheteshwar Pujara played a supporting role in both Indian wins against England last year. His 100-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane at Lord’s saved India from an early second innings setback. Moreover, his 61-run knock at The Oval was instrumental in setting up a big Day 5 target for the hosts.
However, the lack of three-figure scores in Australia, England and South Africa in the space of one year saw Pujara getting axed from the national side.