'Will try and know him a little better': Pujara excited to play with Steve Smith in Sussex before WTC final

Ahead of the India-Australia ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final face-off, which will take place early next month at The Oval, London, Cheteshwar Pujara and Steve Smith are set to play for Sussex. After Sussex acquired the Australian's services early this year -- with the batterto prepare for Ashes 2023 and WTC finale -- both Pujara and Smith will share the dressing room before they represent their respective sides in India-Australia's marquee face-off.

Pujara shared his excitement of playing along with Smith. The duo were part of the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, held in India, where Pujara-starrer India beat Smith's Australia 2-1.

"We have spoken, but most of the time we have played against each other. It is never for the same team, so it will be exciting to have him in the same side," Pujara was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

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Pujara further asserted, "I will try and get his thoughts, try and know him a little better. We will be playing the WTC final, so it will be mixed feelings. On the field we always have good battles, but off the field we are good friends."

"All of us are looking forward to having him here and sharing his experience. He has a lot of knowledge about the game so it will be nice to have his inputs," India's reliable No. 3concluded.

For Pujara, Sussex has been extremely lucky for him. After being dropped from India's Test squad early in 2022, he represented the club and amassed plenty of runs (1,094 in 13 County outings) to revive his red-ball career. In addition, he scored 624 runs in Royal London One-Day Cup last year (second-most overall) at a strike rate of 111.62. Overall, he ended the 2022 season with eight tons (five in County -- including a double ton --and three in the ODI tournament).

Pujara has already started the 2023 season on a high, with two centuries for Sussex in the ongoingCounty Championship Division Two.