Cheteshwar Pujara: Watch Indian batsman scores half-century in AUS A vs IND A practice match

Cheteshwar Pujara: The 32-year old batsman didn’t show signs of rust despite playing a competitive match after 268 days.

During the first warm-up match of the ongoing India’s tour of Australia between Australia A and India A in Sydney, India A batsman Cheteshwar Pujara resumed batting in the same nick like he batted during India’s tour of Australia in 2018-19.

Pujara, who had won the ‘Man of the Series’ award for scoring 521 runs at an average of 74.42 including three centuries and a half-century in India’s last tour, had to walk out to bat only in the second over after opening batsman Shubman Gill got dismissed for a first-ball duck.

Within no time, India also lost their other opener in Prithvi Shaw (0) to find themselves in trouble. However, a 76-run partnership between Pujara and captain Ajinkya Rahane stitched a rescue act for India A.

Pujara, who dominated the partnership, was in his archetype touch scoring drives down the ground and also flicking leg-side deliveries for boundaries. The 32-year old batsman being among the runs despite batting in a competitive match after almost nine months must have been a confidence-booster for the visitors.

In an attempt to play one flick too many, Pujara fell into the trap created the hosts as he handed a straightforward catch to Australia A batsman Marcus Harris at leg slip off James Pattinson. The right-hand batsman ended up scoring 54 (140) with the help of five fours.

While Rahane is only a shot away from completing his half-century, the rest of the Indian batsmen have failed to the extent that India A are currently at 138/6 in 57 overs.

Cheteshwar Pujara scores half-century at the Drummoyne Oval

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