Cheteshwar Pujara scored a century in the Duleep Trophy semi-finals after being dropped from Team India.

Cheteshwar Pujara played an excellent inning which caught everyone’s attention. Despite the presence of popular players like Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw and Pujara himself in the Duleep Trophy game, the crowd was thin on a regular weekday. Some people from a nearby cement factory managed to climb over the boundary wall during their short breaks to catch a glimpse of the game. Like him, Pujara was also fully committed to his work. After learning that he would not be a part of the Indian Test team’s tour of the Caribbean, he voluntarily decided to play in this match.

23 June – Cheteshwar Pujara out of the Indian Test team.

7 July – Cheteshwar Pujara scored a brilliant century in the Duleep Trophy semis.

What a wonderful return to Puja!!! pic.twitter.com/FmWU4ORTev– Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) 7 July 2023

cre trending stories

At this stage of his career, Pujara had little to gain from a few first-class matches. Whether he scored runs or not, people will have their own opinion. But Pujara never let such discussions bother him. He found joy in the challenge of the game. He liked to face tough bowling attacks, wear them down and take advantage of any opportunity. It was commendable to see his determination at the age of 35, even though he knew the road back to the national team would not be easy.

In the first innings, Pujara missed the opportunity after hard work. But he was determined not to miss another chance. On the third day of the semi-final, he started afresh, even though he remained unbeaten on 50 overnight. The conditions were challenging, with bowlers like Shivam Mavi and Avesh Khan asking tough questions. Pujara used his experience to deal with the situation.

Pujara showed tremendous discipline during the first session. He added only nine runs to his overnight score and went seven overs without opening the account. However, he adjusted his approach against left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar. He came out of his crease to counter the turning balls, which had troubled him earlier. Pujara’s tactics unsettled the bowler, who tried different strategies but eventually reverted to his original plan.

Pujara remained calm while facing Avesh’s short balls. He confidently escaped them by dropping his wrists. His unwavering faith in his methodology was evident throughout the innings. As he neared his century, he became more aggressive. He played beautiful shots including drives and cuts and brought up his century.

Pujara celebrated his milestone in his usual restrained manner. He raised his bat towards the dressing room, looked at the sky and then focused on the game. He continued to play aggressively, but in a rare moment of confusion, he made a mistake and was run out. Despite this, Pujara’s innings displayed his resilience, self-control and determination, which have made him a reliable No. 3 batsman for the Indian team for many years.