County Championship 2022

Watch: Cheteshwar Pujara strokes third hundred in three weeks to continue special start to County Championship campaign

by Wisden Staff April 29, 2022 - 6:40pm 1 minute read

Watch: Cheteshwar Pujara scored his third hundred in as many 2022 County Championship games, scoring his latest century in the clash between Sussex and Durham.

Pujara, who has been out-of-favour with the India Test team after a string of low scores, has been at his consistent best for Sussex and notched his third hundred of the county season in Hove on Friday. Walking in to bat at No.5 after his side were reduced to 108-3 in response to Durham’s first innings total of 223, Pujara soaked up the pressure and steadied the ship en route to his ton, which came off 162 deliveries.

The right-hander was unbeaten on 128 off 198 deliveries with the help of 16 fours at the end of stumps on day two of the clash, with his innings helping Sussex to 362-5 and taking their lead to 139 runs.

Earlier in the season, the 34-year-old had become only the second Indian after Mohammad Azharuddin to score a County Championship double ton, when he made 201* against Derbyshire two weeks ago in his maiden county game in 2022. He followed the double ton with a fine knock of 109 against Worcestershire.

Pujara has not scored an international hundred since 2019 and was dropped ahead of the recent Test series against Sri Lanka after a poor tour to South Africa where he made only 124 runs in six innings at an average of 20.66.