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Senior India batter Cheteshwar Pujara could only score six off 15 balls in his first innings of the 2022 County Championship on Friday. Making his debut for Sussex, Pujara was dismissed in the 24th over on day two of the division two game against Derbyshire, who amassed 505 in their first innings.
It was not the best of starts to a county stint for Pujara who needs a bagful of runs to make a comeback into the Indian Test team. The veteran batter was dropped from the national following the series in South Africa. Ajinkya Rahane too was ignored for the home series against Sri Lanka.
Star Pakistan keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan is also in Sussex playing eleven. At tea break, the away team was 92 for four, trailing Derbyshire by 413 runs.
India's test specialist Pujara and Rizwan on Thursday made their Sussex debut for the game against hosts Derbyshire in the County Championships Division 2. While Pujara has played first-class cricket in England in the past, it is the first outing for Pakistan wicketkeeper batter.
Both were named in the Sussex playing eleven which is captained by Tom Daines. With Derbyshire opting to bat, Pujara and Rizwan are expected to bat on day two. Both the players stand at the opposite end of their international careers.
Pujara is playing in England after failing to find buyers at the Indian Premier League mega auction, which was held in February 2022. Pujara did not travel to England for a county stint last year, despite India's tour of England, as he was bought by Chennai Super Kings at the IPL 2021 auction.
Pujara was axed from India's Test side for the two-match series against Sri Lanka at home after an ordinary performance during India's tour of South Africa earlier this year. However, India's national selection committee chairman Chetan Sharma said the door would be open for Pujara as well as Ajinkya Rahane, who also faced the ax. Pujara replaced Australia's Travis Head as the overseas batter for Sussex in the upcoming county and one-day tournament.
