Dale Steyn cleans up Cheteshwar Pujara for a duck twice in two meetings

Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the more technically sound players from India. He takes up the extremely important No.3 position in the Test batting lineup and is known for his solid defence. However, when he faced one of the greatest fast bowlers to have walked this planet Dale Steyn, his defences were breached not once but twice in as many meetings.

After the Yorkshire Vikings vs Hampshire semi-final of the Royal London One-Day Cup, the faced off once again today in the County Championship game. Pujara’s team Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat first. Windies pacer Fidel Edwards ensured that the opener AZ Lees didn’t occupy the crease for longer than 5 balls and thus the Indian walked in to bat in the very first over of the match. Having got out for a four-ball duck a couple of nights ago he would’ve wanted this one to go well.

Steyn who opened the bowling with Edwards made life really difficult for the right-hander. Pujara faced 10 balls and was yet to get off the mark, that’s not new to him as he recently scored his first on the 57th ball of a Test inning. However, what followed was a peach of a delivery from the South African.

At over 86mph it was probably quicker than what Pujara was expecting. The ball pitched on middle shaped slightly outwards in the air, the batsman wanted to offer a straight defensive shot but it breached past his defences. It possibly a bit low as well and Steyn was able to exploit the gap between his bat and pads. All that combined and the red cherry hit Pujara’s timber.

His off and middle stump were off the ground and off Steyn went towards the slips for a pumped-up celebration. He has now dismissed Pujara for a duck in their last two faceoffs and the Indian certainly has a lot of thinking and work to do before the Test series against England.

Watch the video here:

Steyn v Pujara. @DaleSteyn62 wins 💥

Match Centre: https://t.co/Q7sloC1JD9 pic.twitter.com/BJVRAiv1iG

— County Championship (@CountyChamp) June 20, 2018

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