Struggling Pujara to play for Derbyshire

Cheteshwar Pujara, who was among the top-order batsmen who failed to click in the five-Test series against England, has turned his attention to Derbyshire to find form.

The speculations were taking rounds about the county the Indian batsman will finally choose. Pujara, on Saturday, put an end to it by accepting an offer made by Derbyshire for the rest of the season.

"After discussions and negotiations with a couple of prominent English county cricket clubs, including Liecestershire, over the last several weeks, Cheteshwar Pujara has finally decided to accept Derbyshire's offer and represent it in the remainder of the ongoing season.

“This will be announced soon both by the cricketer himself as well Derbyshire County Cricket Club," an unimpeachable source very close to the right-hand middle-order batsman told Rediff.com on condition of anonymity.

The source was quick to point out that Pujara is keen to get some experience in playing in English conditions.

"No, it isn't for money, but for the experience of playing in English cricket, which is a challenge in itself for the best of cricketers, that Cheteshwar has decided to play for a county, which in his case happens to be Derbyshire County Cricket Club."

"Though Cheteshwar will get to play hardly three-four matches, as the season is approaching its conclusion, it should do him a world of good to rectify some errors which were noticed in his technique during the recent five Tests in England in which he failed to live up to his talent and expectations of all who thought he would score plenty of runs.

“Cheteshwar is all keyed up to make his county debut and make up for his failure in the Test series against England," the source further added:

It will be years after off-spinner and former India captain, who later became a respected international umpire, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, that another Indian player is going to play for Derbyshire. Venkataraghavan graced the Derbyshire cricket team in the 1970s.

Image: Cheteshwar Pujara

Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images