Cheteshwar Pujara takes on captaincy with run-scoring prowess undimmed

Sussex 332 for 9 (Pujara 115) trail Durham 376 (Jones 87, Lees 79, McAndrew 5-85) by 44 runs

The good news for Sussex was that leadership does not look like being a burden. Pujara’s 115 was warmly received by a healthy bank holiday crowd – Sussex’s decision to distribute 2000 free tickets combining with what felt like the first genuine sighting of the sun this spring – and meant that his average for the county actually increased a tick, up to 109.90 from his nine appearances. Pujara is not a particularly demonstrative man, but the very act of pressing out to meet the ball with an authoritative straight bat was a comforting sight for those reclining on their deckchairs.

An analogue cricketer in a digital world, Pujara is one of the few Indian cricket aficionados on the planet choosing to focus on the county circuit in preference to the IPL. He was signed by Chennai Super Kings a couple of years ago, but did not get a game (he last played in the tournament in 2014); and having made Sussex his fourth county this time last year, he seems to have decided once and for all just which way he prefers his bread to be buttered.

But how does an analogue cricket fare in the Bazball era? Well, if you’re as technically assured and confident in your processes as Pujara – absolutely fine. Here he moved up and down the gears as required, flicking and guiding the ball into gaps, leaving plenty and attacking when it suited, as demonstrated by a strike rate of 70.55. A rare nod to innovation saw him uppercut the final ball before tea over the keeper for six, taking him to 88 not out at the interval. On the resumption, he took Brydon Carse for three fours in four deliveries to bring up a 133-ball ton.

“It was an important knock for the team,” said Pujara, who praised the character shown by his players after Durham’s aggressive start to the match, as well as highlighting the century partnership between himself and Oli Carter that prevent Sussex from being cut adrift.

“We are not too far behind in the game, and hopefully if we bowl well tomorrow we are chasing down anywhere close to 350,” he said. “First game, first innings, we were put under pressure, they were 160 for 1 – the way we fought back. Even while batting, we were under pressure, we lost four wickets but the way we fought back we are right in the game. So that’s the kind of attitude we want.”

Carse was the bowler who gave Pujara most trouble, his splice-bothering length twice producing edges that flew between slips and gully; another hit-the-deck effort reared off the shoulder of the bat and also disappeared for four – although that one was a no-ball. Matt Kuhnemann, the Australia spinner on Durham debut, saw an edge fall short and another slash fly beyond the outstretched grasp of slip.

Both Sussex and Durham begin this season with new head coaches in place as they attempt to cast off recent underperformance. Between 2003 and 2013, these two counties shared six Championship titles evenly but it is now seven years since either were in the top tier. There is plenty of talent coming through at both clubs, but Paul Farbrace and Ryan Campbell must each find the right blend of youth and experience to oversee a promotion push.

Sussex’s reply threatened to come a cropper after some belligerence from their 22-year-old opener Ali Orr, who twice thrashed Raine for six in the space of five balls – either side of being caught off a no-ball. But Raine had the last laugh when he diverted a drive from Orr’s opening partner, Tom Haines, into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, and the Durham seamer then removed Haine, in his first outing since a successful winter with England Lions, via a catch at the wicket in the same over.

Pujara was soon ensconced in the manner that brought him more than 1000 runs last year – including a double-century against Durham at Hove – but two quick wickets after lunch saw Sussex slip to 91 for 4. Pujara found an ally in Carter, Sussex’s diminutive wicketkeeper-batter and another academy product, as the fifth wicket yielded 112 in 30-odd overs of sensible batting. That was until Carter’s ill-judged charge gave Kuhnemann his first success in a Durham shirt and the visitors seemed to have taken a grip on proceedings again when Raine won a raucously celebrated lbw decision against Pujara with Sussex still 131 runs in arrears. But the tail was well marshalled by McAndrew, to ensure the home side, who ticked along at 3.64, were still in the game come the close.