Sussex captain Cheteshwar Pujara praised his young side for fighting back when they were under pressure from Durham today on day two of the opening match of the County Championship at Hove.
Pujara said: “Personally, I always want to start well but it was also an important knock for the team.
“My feet are moving well and I feel in good rhythm which is always important at the start of the season.
“At one point, when we lost four wickets, we needed a partnership and fortunately I managed to do that with Oli Carter.
“The wickets at Hove always do a little bit with the new ball but if you can spend some time in the middle, it can get a lot better to bat on.
“Things started to work for me and I felt in control. In terms of the game, we are not too far behind Durham’s score and if we bowl well tomorrow we will be chasing around 350 which I think is achievable on this wicket.
“We have fought back well when we’ve been under pressure and that’s the kind of attitude we need – and for the guys to improve day by day.
“I’m honoured to be the captain of Sussex. It’s a young team to lead and many of them will eventually play for England I feel.
“So, they are quite motivated to keep getting better as players. That makes my job easier. It’s a great team environment and I think we have an exciting season ahead. For us, the aim is to get promoted.”
Durham’s Ollie Robinson said: “I thought the boys bowled well all day and we perhaps didn’t get the luck we deserved at times.
“The pitch is pretty good for batting once you get through the new ball and it’s a pity we couldn’t get that last wicket at the end.
“But Pujara batted really well to be fair. There were a couple of chances but he batted beautifully – and it looks like it’s going to be a one-innings shoot-out now which is pretty exciting.
“I think that is the way county cricket is going to go. There aren’t many points now for a draw so it’s worthwhile taking risks and pushing the game forward.
“If you do that, you will get rewarded and give yourselves the best chances of winning games of cricket and climbing the table.”
