[Watch] Cheteshwar Pujara hits a century for Sussex in a 50-over match against Northamptonshire

Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara hit a magnificent century for Sussex in their 50-over match against Northamptonshire in the England Domestic One-Day Cup 2023 on Sunday, August 6.

The match was a 45-overs-per-side affair due to a rain interruption. Sussex batted first in the contest and found themselves in trouble at 21/2 after 7.3 overs. Batting at number 3, Cheteshwar Pujara (106*) anchored the innings well and ensured his side reached 240/7 in 45 overs. His knock was pivotal for Sussex, as none of the other batters crossed the 30-run mark.

Pujara's 119-ball knock comprised two sixes and four boundaries. You can watch his milestone reaching moment in the video below:

Great to have you back, @cheteshwar1! 🙌

Century 💯 pic.twitter.com/k7SfSu59si

Unfortunately, Pujara's century went in vain as Northamptonshire reached the revised target of 243 in 43.4 overs and won the match by three wickets. Prithvi Shaw opened the innings for Northamptonshire and hit 26 (17). He began the chase on a high note, smashing fours off the first two balls, but could not convert his start into a substantial knock.

Difficult for Cheteshwar Pujara to make a comeback into the Indian team: Wasim Jaffer

Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels that the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal and other youngsters will make it tough for Cheteshwar Pujara to make a comeback into the Indian Test side.

The 35-year-old batter last played for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final against Australia in June. Selectors dropped him for the subsequent tour of the West Indies and roped in youngsters.

During a media interaction, Jaffer gave his opinion on the chances of Pujara's comeback, saying:

"I feel it will be difficult for Cheteshwar Pujara to make a comeback into the Indian team going forward. You have to look forward to younger players and fresh faces in the new World Test Championship cycle. Shreyas Iyer will come back and possibly Rishabh Pant will too at some point. Now you have Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as well. So I feel it will be difficult for Pujara to make a comeback."

Do you agree with Wasim Jaffer's views? Sound off in the comments section.