Cheteshwar Pujara smashes hundred on Sussex captaincy debut

Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara smashed an unbeaten hundred on Day 1 of the County Championship Division Two game for Sussex against Middlesex at Lord’s on July 19, Tuesday. This was also his first match as the captain of the side in the absence of Tom Haines, who is ruled out due to an injury.

Middlesex skipper Tim Murtagh put Sussex to bat first on a Day 1 morning at Lord’s, on a green-top wicket. Both openers lost their wickets without a significant contribution, and they were on 99/2 after 34.2 overs. And then came the Indian with a task in hand to steady the innings.

Pujara, who normally has a reputation for being defensive and building the innings gradually, played a counterattacking innings, comprising ten fours and a six, to put the visitors firmly under control.

Third-wicket partnership puts Sussex in command

For Murtagh’s men, in the first hour of the morning, as it normally is on a typical Lord’s track, some early assistance was provided to the seamers. Openers Ali Orr was dismissed for 7 off 25 balls by the home captain, and Tom Clark was dismissed for 33 off 84 balls by Tom Helm.

It was left-handed batter Tom Alsop, who walked in at number three and scored a fighting 135 runs off 277 balls, staying on the crease for 365 minutes, to stabilise the Sussex innings along with his stand-in captain. Alsop was dismissed in the 93rd over by Helm, bringing an end to a 219-run partnership for the third wicket.

Pujara, on the other hand, took on the seamers and played the role of the aggressor from the other end, and upped the scoring rate. He finished the day with 115 runs off 182 balls and helped his team go past 300. After Alsop was dismissed, Archie Lenham followed shortly after, as he got out in the same over for a three-ball duck. By the end of Day 1, Sussex finished with 328 for the loss of four wickets in 96 overs. The pick of the Middlesex bowlers was seamer Helm with three wickets for 63 runs.