Rahul, Jaiswal To Open: Cheteshwar Pujara Makes Bold No. 3 Call For India's Test XI
After Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's exit from Tests, the Indian batting unit is likely to undergo a big structural change.
The departures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have given the Indian team management almost a blank slate to work with ahead of the start of the England tour. While a few names like KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill are confirmed, the think tank has to put its head together to structure the rest of the batting line-up. Cheteswhar Pujara, one of India's finest No. 3 batters in recent times, has shared his ideas on the puzzle that the team has to resolve.
"The openers who batted in Australia in the BGT (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) series -- KL Rahul and Yashasvi, should continue. Now talking about no.3, at this stage we don't know whether Shubman will bat there or drop down to No.4," Pujara said on Sunday during an online interaction organised by Sony Sports Network.
Though Pujara wants Gill to bat at the No. 3 spot, he does see him making a slight change and taking up the No. 4 spot instead. If that happens, Gill wants Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan or Karun Nair to take up the role. Pujara fancies Sudharsan and Easwaran more for the one-down spot.
"If Shubman bats at No.4, then someone like Abhimanyu Eswaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position, but I would still like to see Shubman batting at No.3," he added."
Someone like Karun who has done very well in domestic cricket, I think ideal position for Karun would be No.4. If Shubman bats at No.3, then Karun Nair comes at No.4. If Shubman bats at No.4, then at No.3 it would be a choice between Abhimanyu Eswaran or Sai Sudharsan," he said.
With Gill leading the India team in his first assignment away from home in England, Pujara expects the young star to face a significant challenge.
"When he goes to England, and when he starts his preparation, he will understand that these are the shots which he can play while the ball is new. Plus, there are some shots that you need to avoid when the ball is new, and it's swinging or seaming around a bit. I would say it's very similar to what you get in Australia ,where the ball does a bit more for the first 25-30 overs and then it settles down a bit," Pujara said.
"So, once the ball gets old, you as a batter, you can play a few more shots. But if he is batting at number 3 or 4 and India loses one or two wickets early on, then he might have to change his game a bit. He is capable enough to do that, and once he goes there, I am sure he will understand what he has to do," he added.
India Cricket Team
Cheteshwar Pujara