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Cheteshwar Pujara, the seasoned Indian batter who is currently out of favour in the national team, continues to showcase his hunger for runs with impressive performances. The 35-year-old displayed his batting prowess in the ongoing One Day Cup in England, representing Sussex against Somerset at The Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.
Somerset’s skipper Sean Dickson won the toss and chose to bat first on a wicket that remained consistent in pace and bounce throughout the game. Somerset’s Andrew Umeed and Curtis Campher both notched centuries, propelling their team to a total of 318/6 in their allotted 50 overs.
Umeed’s well-constructed 119 off 130 balls, featuring ten fours and three sixes, was complemented by Campher’s aggressive innings of 101 off 82 deliveries, comprising nine fours and three sixes at a notable strike rate of 123.17. Somerset’s skipper contributed a brisk 40 off 23 balls, while Joshua Thomas played a cameo of 21* off 10 balls to boost Somerset’s score at the end of their innings.
Pujara elevated his performance to meet the occasion
Facing the challenging target, Sussex found themselves in a precarious situation at 47 for 2 wickets within seven overs. This called for a steady partnership to stabilize the innings, and Pujara, batting at number four, rose to the occasion. The Rajkot-born cricketer played a masterful innings, guiding the chase with an unbeaten 117 off 113 balls, showcasing an adaptable strike rate of 103.54 and accumulating 11 fours.
His partnership with Tom Alsop (60 off 58 balls) laid a solid foundation for the chase, allowing Pujara to find his rhythm and then take on the Somerset bowlers. Sussex’s wicketkeeper-batter Oli Carter added a valuable 44 off 34 balls, featuring four fours and two sixes, further bolstering the innings. All-rounder Jack Carson‘s quick cameo, featuring two crucial sixes, sealed the victory for Sussex with 11 balls remaining.
Here’s the video:
Masterclass.#MBODC23 | @cheteshwar1 pic.twitter.com/8d8wLR25D5
— Metro Bank One Day Cup (@onedaycup) August 11, 2023
Notably, this was Pujara’s second century for Sussex in the last four games, with his first century coming against Northamptonshire. With a total of 302 runs in four matches, the Indian stalwart has become one of the leading run-scorers in the tournament. Prior to this, Pujara’s strong form was evident in the Indian domestic circuit as well, where he scored an impressive 133 for West Zone against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy.
Despite his recent successes, Pujara’s performance in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia did not meet expectations, resulting in his exclusion from the Indian Test side for the recently concluded two-Test series against West Indies.
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