Cheteshwar Pujara, Joe Root Set to Appear for Yorkshire Together

It is quite a rare sight to witness two legendary cricketers from two different nationalities playing together in first-class cricket. The scenario becomes intense when both the cricketers happen to be celebrated Test batsmen of their generations. So if everything falls into place, we might well see two-star players playing together. Yes, Joe Root and Cheteshwar Pujara are bound to take the field for Yorkshire in County Championships.

Root is expected to return to the county ranks for a relatively brief stint next month. The English skipper alongside wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow is set to appear in a few four-day matches in the County Championship games against Essex and Surrey in early May. England will then play Pakistan in a two-Test match series starting from May 24.

Meanwhile, India will be gearing up for their five-Tests affair against England in August. Pujara stated he is eager to renew his acquaintances with the English skipper.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with him,” Yorkshire Post quotes Pujara.

“I would like to learn from him and speak to him about how he prepares before a game. I would also like to ask him how his experience has been in international cricket so far,” Pujara added.

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“He’s improved a lot since I first saw him in 2012 when he came to India with the England team (where Root made his Test debut).

He’s a different player now from what he was then and has gone on to become one of the best in the world.”

Yorkshire sat atop the Division One table, as they began their third match of the season against Somerset (a side featuring Matthew Renshaw) on Friday with Pujara managing two and 18 in his two hits so far.

Root and Pujara faces IPL snub

Arguably, quite like Root, Pujara went unsold during the two-day long Indian Premier League’s (IPL) mega-auction early in the year. However, the snub for both might well be a blessing in disguise.

“At the start of the season, I think the wickets will be challenging,” Yorkshire’s official website quoted Pujara earlier in the month.

“So it’s about spending a lot of time at the crease and scoring as many runs as possible. As a team, it’s always important to start off well. You can then carry that momentum on. It is always challenging as a batsman to play in England, but it’s something I look forward to. You don’t just want to play on flat wickets. You want to score runs on challenging pitches. When you do that, you are more confident and satisfied,” Pujara concludes.

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