The No. 3 Conundrum: Despite England Test Heroics, Shubman Gill-Led India Face Big Question

NDTV

a day ago

It is not everyday that a stadium is completely packed with one team needing just 35 runs to win. However, at the Oval, the tension was palpable as India and England took the field on the final day of a five-match Test series that arguably had it all. From war of words to feats of unbelievable determination, it was a series that emerged as the perfect advertisement for Test cricket in the age of short attention spans. England were firm favourites going into the final day with 4 wickets in hand but someone must have forgotten to give Mohammed Siraj the script.
Siraj and Prasidh Krishna came up with a bowling performance for the ages as India won the game by 6 wins and levelled the five-match series 2-2.
Who will be India's No. 3 in Test cricket?
At that moment, there was pure jubilation. The criticism and analysis took a backseat as both experts and fans were engrossed in the moment of victory. However, once the dust settles on the enthralling series, one question still remains - Who will be India's No. 3 in Test cricket?
Even before the squad was announced for the England Tests, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma decided to announce their retirements from the longest format of the sport. While both batters struggled for runs in the recent past, India were suddenly without their two biggest names against England's 'Bazball'.
The result was the appointment of Shubman Gill as the captain with an eye on the future and few choices that left everyone intrigued.
Sai Sudharsan made his way to the side on the back of brilliant performances in the IPL while Karun Nair was finally rewarded for his constant showing in the domestic circuit.
While questions remained over the possible batting line-up, KL Rahul was promoted to the top of the order while Gill replaced Kohli at No. 4. However, once again, there were no concrete plans for the No. 3 slot with Sudharsan and Nair both getting chances depending on the team composition.
Nair batted on four occasions at No. 3, scoring 111 runs with his highest score being 40. Meanwhile, Sudharsan scored 140 runs in six innings with a half-century at Old Trafford.
It was a Test series where the Indian cricket team top-order did perform well on multiple occasions but a slightly deeper look at the stats show clearly that the No. 3 position left a lot to be desired.
So, the question once again arises - What's next? Nair scored a timely half-century at No. 5 in the fifth Test to stop a batting collapse and considering the focus on youth, Sudharsan may also receive more opportunities going forward. The BCCI can also look at Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan as potential candidates but both of them will have to bat out of their preferred positions in that scenario.
The calls for Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to make a possible comeback gains momentum almost everytime India fails to score big. However, with both veterans getting snubbed for the Duleep Trophy squads, it looks like that chapter is as good as over when it comes to the selectors.
At the end of the English summer, India will return home with some stunning performances, few new heroes and a self-belief that can propel this young side in the future. However, amid all the jubilation, the lack of a proper choice at No. 3 remains an unfortunate blemish on a near-perfect story.