"I knew everything is back to normal" - Cheteshwar Pujara on how county stint with Sussex restored his confidence 

Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara has reminisced about his recent county stint with Sussex. He explained why it was important for his career, and how, in the aftermath of his snub from the national team, it gave him the feeling that "everything is back to normal".

From mid-2019 till the end of 2021, Pujara batted well in pockets but could neither strike a big score nor string a few good knocks together. This led to him being dropped for Sri Lanka's tour of India earlier this year, with selectors demanding good domestic performances for him to make a comeback.

Pujara did just that, scoring 191 runs in three matches for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy and following it up with four successive hundreds for Sussex. His scores in the County Championship read 6, 201 not out, 109, 12, 203, 16, and 125 not out, helping him get his place back for the rescheduled fifth Test of the series.

Speaking to BCCI.tv, he said he only needed time in the middle and "some long innings" to get back to his rhythm. Pujara remarked:

"I had a wonderful time with Sussex, the guys were really good, I loved roaming around Brighton. Look, it was about playing as many first class games as possible and for me, that experience was very important. Because when you want to get back to form, find your rhythm, and get back your confidence, it's important to have some long innings and when I was playing for Sussex, I could do that.

"Once I had my first big knock against Derby, I felt my rhythm was back, my concentration and everything started falling in place... When you play competitive cricket, you learn so many things. Although I have played so many games here, sometimes you need that experience and time in the middle and that was the most important thing for me."

He added:

"I was preparing for this [tour] even when I was back home before joining the Sussex team. I played three Ranji Trophy games for Saurashtra, even in that, I found my rhythm and knew I was batting well. It was just about getting that big score. When I had that knock in the first game [for Sussex] I knew everything is back to normal.

"My footwork, backlift, and everything was coming along well. After that, I just wanted to enjoy my game, try and contribute to the team's success, and the most important thing is to have a good time on the field. For me, I love this game, I enjoy playing cricket so whenever I am on the field, I try and make the most of it."

Hanuma Vihari took his favored No. 3 spot against Sri Lanka and did well too. But given his superior experience and recent form in the English conditions, Pujara is expected to return to the playing XI. In the first four Tests, he was India's third-highest run-scorer with 227 runs, including two half-centuries, at an average of 32.43.

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"It's important to have some quality time with the family" - Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara also talked about his short trip to some European countries between the county stint and this series, saying quality time with family was important to help him unwind and be mentally relaxed ahead of this tour. He said:

"It's important to have some quality time with the family, especially after playing four to five games where I was on the field for most of the sessions which we had as a team. It was an important break for me. To go out with the family, explore some of the European countries, we had a quality time. Otherwise, when you are busy with the schedule you hardly get those times. So yeah, it was an important break for me so you just unwind, relax and explore."

The Test will be played at Edgbaston, beginning at 3:30 pm IST on July 1.

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