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Star batter Cheteshwar Pujara faced considerable criticism for his performance and was even dropped from India's Test squad for the recently-concluded two-match series against South Africa. However, Pujara didn't let his hard work go in vain and responded to his critics with his stunning comeback, hitting a robust century in the 2023-2024 Ranji Trophy while playing for Saurashtra. Pujara combined with Arpit Vasavada to put Saurashtra in a commanding position.
In the Ranji match, which is being played in Rajkot, saw Jharkhand's team bundling out for just 142 runs in the first innings. In response, Saurashtra got off to a confident start. Pujara, who came to bat at no.4, put up a show with the bat and first struck an impressive half-century and then followed it up with a sensational century. He is still unscathed at 109 off 167 balls after 96 overs.
Earlier, opener Harvik Desai gave Saurashtra a good start. Harvik scored 85 runs off 119 balls, which included 14 fours. Snell Patel played a knock of 15 runs while Sheldon Jackson also scored a half-century. Jackson made 54 runs off 74 balls, hitting eight fours and a six. Pujara formed a good partnership with Jackson and also with Arpit. Arpit has made 33 runs so far. As of writing this report, Saurashtra have scored 338 runs for the loss of four wickets.
Saurashtra opted to field first after winning the toss. Their bowlers excelled, dismissing Jharkhand cheaply in their first innings, with Chirag Jani notably claiming five wickets. Saurashtra's innings began strongly thanks to Harvik Desai and Sheldon Jackson, despite an early loss of Snell Patel. From that point, it was Pujara's time to shine. Pujara stood firm against Jharkhand's lackluster bowling, playing a series of impressive shots to secure a substantial lead for Saurashtra. He forged crucial partnerships, initially with opener Harvik Desai and then with Arpit Vasavada, positioning Saurashtra dominantly in the match. Pujara reached his century during the second session on the second day. Remaining unbeaten at the end of the day's play, 157 off 239 balls including 19 fours. The focus now shifts to whether Pujara can utilise this Ranji season as a platform to reclaim his spot in the Indian national team.
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