Former India Test vice-captain Cheteshwar Pujara has been out of the team since June last year. He has started playing for Saurashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2023-24 game against Jharkhand. Batting first, the visitors were bowled out for 142 with Chirag Jani taking a fifer. In reply, the former Ranji champions had a fine start with the team getting 135 runs and losing two wickets.
Pujara came out to bat at number four and has been playing at the time of writing. The right-hander has scored 243 runs and counting. On the other hand, Sheldon Jackson (54) and Aprit Vasavada (68) scored fifty each, and Prerak Mankad (104*) unbeaten with Pujara. At the time of writing, the team has amassed 578/4, leading by 436 runs. Day Three is in progress and the home side will likely declare the innings to have a go at Jharkhand and beat them by an innings.
If they manage to do so, they will get a bonus point apart from winning a game, i.e. seven points in total.
Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged Player of the Series in India’s maiden Test series win in Australia
Meanwhile, on this day in 2019, India officially won their maiden Test series in Australia. In the 2018-19 series, the Asian side took a lead in the first game, only for the Aussies to level the series. After their win in the third Test, the then-Virat Kohli-led side took a lead of 2-1 to ensure they wouldn’t lose a series. In the fourth and last game, India won the toss and elected to bat first. After getting 626 runs, the team declared the innings. The game ended in a draw after Australia couldn’t bat due to rain. After the series, Pujara was adjudged Player of the Series.
This is how Twitter reacted
We dropped this guy from our test team to accommodate the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Nohit Nofit Sharma…
— TMS ?? (@TMS205) January 7, 2024
Man of Tests, Cheteshwar Pujara ! Gill isn’t playing anything in tests tbh , so overrated
— Deeksha. (@CrickettFanGirl) January 7, 2024
@mufaddal_vohra , That ‘s a konck of a champion. U can’t ignore comeback King @cheteshwar1 pic.twitter.com/OH77VfKYDt
— Shivam Sopori?? (@shivamsopori) January 7, 2024
He should replace Shubman Gill
— Listen (@listen_virat) January 7, 2024
Cheteshwar Pujara Starts His Ranji Season In Style! pic.twitter.com/3MmTtYEy1z
— Nirmal Roy (@nroy11) January 7, 2024
Pujara is a legend. Why isn’t he playing in IPL? ?#??????????? #??????thevoice #??????????? #??????????????? pic.twitter.com/slfY4Uncbl
— M. Nouman ?? ? (@nomezwa) January 7, 2024
Iyer should be here and Cheteswar should be in India
— Owngoal (@Whyysoseriousz) January 7, 2024
So has been a few folks. Tilak Varma scored a 100, Padikkal scored 193 in there opening innings. This Ranji will be different.
— Nirmal Roy (@nroy11) January 7, 2024
Dropping him from team was a mistake, such an experienced batter.
— Shahid Hassan (@shahid_2349) January 7, 2024
