Cricket: Cheteshwar Pujara joins Nottinghamshire as cover for Pattinson
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who did not get an Indian Premier League contract, will join Nottinghamshire to provide short-term cover for James Pattinson when the fast bowler joins the Australian squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
The 29-year-old, who bats at number three in the Indian side, averages over 51 from 48 tests for India and has scored 11 hundreds.
He was, however, ignored for the IPL Twenty20 tournament, and will be available to play in four county championship matches.
"I'm ready for it. I'm already working on my skills and preparing for competitive cricket," added Pujara.
"I love playing county cricket and Trent Bridge is a great venue. I'm really looking forward to my first experience there as a home player. The aim is to win as many games as possible so the team stays on top of the points table."
Nottinghamshire are at the top of the table in Division Two, with three wins from three matches and Pattinson taking 20 wickets.
"We have looked around the world to find the right player," Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire director of cricket, said in a statement.
"The most important thing was to sign someone with the quality to make us better, rather than limiting our options by saying it had to be a bowler.
"We have depth in our squad with regards to bowling and - particularly as we'll be without Alex Hales during that period - we're more than happy to welcome a world-class batsman to the Club."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly,; editing by Larry King)