WATCH - Cheteshwar Pujara smashes a staggering century for Sussex in their first match of the County Championship

While all the other Indian batters are plying their trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, India?s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara is leaving no stone unturned to prepare himself for the World Test Championship Final. The batter has joined his county team Sussex and will be playing for them this season.?

Cheteshwar Pujara smashes a staggering century for Sussex in their first match of the County Championship

Cheteshwar Pujara has kickstarted his county stint on a high as he smashed a staggering century for Sussex in their first game of the County Championship against Durham. The batter scored 115 runs and bailed his side out of trouble.?

He came to bat when his side was tumbling at 91/3. Pujara stepped for his side and smashed a blistering 115 runs knock to help his side post over 300 runs. He came to bat at No.4 and resurrected his side?s innings. The right-hander batted for 163 balls and smashed 13 fours and 1 six in his innings.?

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Pujara ahead of the season was named as the captain of the Sussex and he kick-started his stint as a captain on high as well. Earlier in the game, Nathan McAndrew?s five-wicket haul helped the Indian batter side?s to bundle out the opposition for just 376 runs. 

Notably, Cheteshwar Pujara was the mainstay of the Sussex?s batting lineup as he batted staggeringly well for them in the last edition. He piled up 1,094 runs in the 8 games he played. His tally of 1094 runs also included three double centuries and finished the season with an average of 109.4.

Here?s the video of Cheteshwar Pujara?s ton for Sussex:?

Cheteshwar Pujara to play a crucial role for India in the World Test Championship Final 

The World Test Championship Final will take place between India and Australia at the Oval, England. The summit clash will be played from 7th to 11th June. Both the teams earned their spot in the final after their staggering show in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. With the final set to take place in England, the county stint will be beneficial for Cheteshwar Pujara as he will have an opportunity to get used to the English conditions.

?It?ll also be an opportunity for him to regain his form to the full extent. In the absence of Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, Pujara will hold the key for India in the final. He played a decent role for India in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he scored 140 runs in six innings at an average of 28.00.

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