In what has come as a big delight to India and Pakistan fans, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Rizwan made their debut together for the Sussex county club on Thursday. The duo was included in the playing XI’s of Sussex team for the ongoing game against Derbyshire in the County Division 2.
It is pertinent to note that Cheteshwar Pujara has had the experience of playing first-class cricket in England in the past as well. However, Rizwan, on the other hand, is making his county championship debut. Interestingly, both the batsmen are playing for the same team and the fans would love to see them batting together in the middle.
Talking about the game, Derbyshire have won the toss and opted to bat first, which means the duo is likely to bat on day 2. Sussex is led by English cricketer Tom Daines. Sadly, the county club have already lost their last game and would be looking to make a comeback.
To strengthen their batting unit, head coach Ian Salisbury has included both Rizwan and Pujara in the playing XI. He expressed his excitement about adding two world-class batters to the team and is hoping that their presence will make a positive environment in the dressing room.
"I am extremely excited to be able to bring in players of Rizwan and Pujara's quality into the side. Not only are they absolute world-class cricketers that will boost our performances on the pitch, but to have them around the boys and in the dressing room can only be a positive," said the head coach in a team statement.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s recent form though doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. He was dropped from the Test squad following his dismal returns during India’s tour of South Africa. He is looking to make a comeback in India’s Test side. On the other hand, Mohammad Rizwan is currently one of the vital cogs in the Pakistan Cricket Team across formats. He would be looking to take the experience of playing on seaming tracks in England.
Meanwhile, the fans from both India and Pakistan are excited on the prospect of witnessing the duo bat together in England. A lot of them took to Twitter to express their delight. Here’s a look at some of the best reactions:
What an Amazing Picture this
— Samish Santhosh (@Samishsanthosh1) April 14, 2022
Picture of the Day for me already can't wait to see them in a partnership and running and scoring well
What an Amazing Picture this
— Samish Santhosh (@Samishsanthosh1) April 14, 2022
Picture of the Day for me already can't wait to see them in a partnership and running and scoring well
I really hope India Pakistan started bilateral series again. Will be a trilling series. Best of luck to both @cheteshwar1 and @iMRizwanPak
— Mushahid Hussain (@mushahid345) April 14, 2022
Best of luck to both 🇮🇳
— prediction king 👑 (@Keshav39557383) April 14, 2022
Sport is so great it joins 2 countries that have enmity ❤️
— Umair Nisar (@umair6881) April 14, 2022
Divided by British
— Tehseen Qasim (@Tehseenqasim) April 14, 2022
Untied by British 😂
Landmark moment in County Cricket!
— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi) April 14, 2022
Mohammad Rizwan 🇵🇰 and Cheteshwar Pujara 🇮🇳 will be making their Sussex debut just a few moments from now.
I wish both of them loads of runs for their team. Follow the link to watch the game LIVE.https://t.co/SqvftFVLhs
Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Rizwan's debut for Sussex.🤩
— Z A I N (@Zain_Speaks) April 14, 2022
Rivals united to take on the opponents. Historical moment with respect to current scanerios. 🇵🇰🇮🇳#Cricket pic.twitter.com/wFpV7dRIfN