Ranji Trophy Final: Cheteshwar Pujara Comes Out To Bat Again After Retiring Hurt Due To Fever
Saurashtra have received a big boost in the ongoing Ranji Trophy final against Bengal as their star man Cheteshwar Pujara came out to bat on the second day of the game despite suffering with fever and sore throat. The right-handed batsman, who recently returned from New Zealand after the Test series, decided to play for his domestic team in the all-important final.
However, he had to retire hurt on day one as he was not feeling unwell. Cheteshwar Pujara had pushed himself down to No 6 from his usual No 3 position after Saurashtra elected to bat first. The Jaydev-Unadkat led side were 182/4 when the India Test star walked out to bat and was looking solid on five from 24 balls.
But as his stay at the crease progressed, the 32-year-old looked uneasy before eventually deciding against continuing out in the middle. Cheteshwar Pujara walked off the field and looked dazed in the dressing room. It was a blow for the home team who were struggling after in-form Bengal pacers came back to take five wickets in the second and third session to blunt Saurashtra’s good start.
But on the second day, Cheteshwar Pujara decided to show his brave side as he came out to bat with Arpit Vasavada. Saurashtra will be hoping that their star batsman remains at the crease for long and guide them to a big total. At the time of writing this report, Saurashtra were 218 for 5 with Pujara on 9 and Vasavada on 33.
The final is Saurashtra’s fourth in eight seasons while Bengal made it to the final for the first time since 2006-07 season.
Also Read: Brian Lara Names His Favourite Batsman Of The Present Era
Also Read: Day/Night Games Isn’t A Way Forward For Test Cricket, Says Brian Lara
Tagged:
Saurashtra
