Cheteshwar Pujara’s century conversion streak comes to an end

LEICESTER: Indian middle-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara’s century conversion streak in county cricket ended on Friday.

His county Sussex is currently playing Leicestershire at Leicester.

On day 2 of the match, Pujara scored 77 in 128 balls. His knock consisted of 16 fours. But he could not convert it into a century as he was dismissed by Tom Scriven.

He had converted all of his previous fifty-plus scores into centuries, including three double centuries. He has scored three centuries and one half-century in the ongoing County Championship Division Two.

Pujara is currently the highest run-scorer in Division Two, having scored 545 runs in seven innings at an average of 77.85, with three centuries and a fifty. His best score is 151 across five matches.

Pujara was in fine form for Sussex last year as well. In eight matches last year in the Championship, he scored 1,094 runs at an average of 109.40. He scored five half-centuries last year, with the best score of 231.

He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the division behind Wayne Madsen (1,273 for Derbyshire), Haseeb Hameed (1,235 for Nottinghamshire) and Sam Northeast (1,189 for Glamorgan).

Pujara also performed really well in the One-Day Cup last year. In nine matches, he scored 624 runs at an average of 89.14 and a strike rate of 111.62. He scored three centuries and two half-centuries and the best score of 174. He led his side to the semi-final of the tournament as a skipper.

The middle-order batter’s century is an encouraging sign for India, which is preparing for the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 final against Australia, which will take place on June 7 at The Oval in London.

Pujara displayed fine form for India last year, scoring 409 runs in five Tests and 10 innings at an average of 45.44. He scored a century and three half-centuries last year, with the best score of 102*.

However this year, his statistics have been ordinary so far. In four Tests and six innings this year, he has scored 140 runs at an average of 28.00. Only one half-century has come out of his bat, with his best score being 59.

Since the 2022 County Championship, Pujara has played 20 innings in the tournament, scoring 1,639 runs consisting of eight hundreds, out of which three are double centuries and a fifty.