Cheteshwar Pujara is yet to decide if he will play County cricket in Yorkshire ahead of India's tour of the West Indies, starting August 3. "At this stage, I still don't know if I'll go. There's time before we leave for the Caribbean," Pujara told Sportstar on Thursday.
India will play 3 T20Is, 3 one-day internationals and 2 Tests in the month-long tour. Virat Kohli and Co. will kickstart their World Test Championship 2019-2021 campaign with two Tests: Guyana Antigua (August 22 to 26) and Jamaica (August 30 to September 3).
Pujara, 30, who helped Yorkshire win the 2015 County Championship, said playing in England's domestic circuit helped him hone his skills. "It has helped me better my game in different conditions. When you are facing a fast bowler or a medium pacer (in England), the ball tends to seam through the day, so it helps me work on my technique and temperament," he said.
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Pujara had joined Yorkshire as Younis Khan’s replacement in April 2015. He represented the club in four matches during that season scoring 264 runs at an average of 53.98. Apart from Yorkshire, he has also played for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Pujara is also the third Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar — Yorkshire's first overseas signing during the 1992 England domestic season — and Yuvraj Singh to have played for the club.
Pujara's invaluable grafting abilities as a Test player came in for widespread praise after India's landmark 2-1 series win in Australia last year. He amassed 521 runs, including three hundreds, repeatedly blunting the Aussie attack. The No. 3 batsman then returned to India and hit an unbeaten 131 against Karnataka, having spent 449 minutes in the middle, to guide Saurashtra into its third Ranji Trophy final in six years. Saurashtra lost to Vidarbha by 78 runs in the final.
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He is positive about his Saurashtra's progress. "We have to try and replicate our form going forward. We have found some young players and it's important that they practise well during the off-season."
The domestic season commences with the Duleep Trophy from August 17 to September 8, while the Ranji Trophy will be played from December to March. The BCCI, meanwhile, has ensured that the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy — the inter-state T20 tournament — will be played in November-December to ensure that it gets over before the IPL auction.
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