Who are India's best batters at No.6 or below?
02 Aug, 2025
Credit: Kingshuk Kusari
Indian cricket team were aided by some superb batting from their lower-middle order in the India vs England series
Batting in Crisis
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar put up two terrific hundreds, helping India force an unlikely draw in the Manchester Test match
Jadeja-Sundar
This made us think, what are some of the greatest performance by a batter at No.6 or below in a Test series
Let's take a look
India's Best: No.6 or Below
A young Rishabh Pant played some steady knocks in his maiden tour of Australia
He hit a stunning 159* at Sydney
350 - Rishabh Pant vs AUS, 2018/19 (Away)
The former India head coach was superb in the home series against England
374 - Ravi Shastri vs ENG, 1984/85 (Home)
In a series that India lost away from home, VVS Laxman stood tall
He was the highest run scorer from the Indian team
474 - VVS Laxman vs WI, 2002 (Away)
India vs England 2025 has been a runfest of a series
Ravindra Jadeja helped India draw two Test matches with his heroic feat with the bat
500+ - Ravindra Jadeja vs ENG, 2025 (Away)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
3 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Is Washington Sundar now a vital cog in India's new Test machine?
The ball, clocking a shade under 140 kmph, was short. It was targeted at the body of the tall left-hander, and it rose towards his right shoulder. The batter moved a little towards his left, and swivelled. For a brief instant, both his feet were in the air, as he played a majestic hook. Up went the ball over the deep backward square-leg fence, and into the stands. A couple of spectators frantically searched for it under the seats, painted yellow, light blue and violet. The hook was perfect. A clean six. In the clutch It was played by a 21-year-old on his Test debut, at a most tense moment. It was played against the World No. 1 bowler. That was the shot of the year in cricket. It changed India's approach in the final Test against Australia at the Gabba. Instead of a draw, which itself would have been miraculous for a side that was so depleted it had to field a net bowler, India now began to eye victory on a ground where Australia hadn't lost for more than three decades. Rishabh Pant took India home. The young man who had hit Pat Cummins for the six that had class written all over it was already back in the dressing room. Washington Sundar had scored 62 in India's first innings and had also taken four wickets, including those of Steve Smith and David Warner, with his off-spin. A fabulous Test debut it undoubtedly was. But, in the four years following that iconic win in 2021, Washington was dropped for more Tests than he was picked. Going into the series in England this year, he had played only nine Tests. For a little over three years, his last Test innings was 96 not out. Imagine languishing in the wilderness after a knock like that. True, the selectors had to think about the team's balance and the availability of better spinners. But, he has never been just a spinner that could bat. And he should have played more Tests. He was telling the world as much with bat, and ball at times, during the past few memorable weeks in England. It was a series that will be remembered for unveiling a new young India. An India whose batting flourished despite the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. An India whose bowling won two Tests without the services of the world's best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Washington has proved he can be a vital cog in the new machine. If it was Mohammed Siraj who delivered the final blow at The Oval, with that devastating yorker that shattered England's dream and Gus Atkinson's off-stump, it was Washington who played a pivotal role in setting up one of India's greatest Test wins. It was the left-hander's priceless 53 off 46 balls in the second innings, after coming in at No. 9, that ensured India would have just about enough to defend against Bazballing batters who always fancy their chances of chasing a big target. The manner in which he paced his innings, according to the match situation, was brilliant. When Prasidh Krishna joined him as the last man, he was on 17 off 23 balls, and had hit no sixes. Off the next 23, he made 36 and smashed four mighty sixes. Never back down In the previous Test at Old Trafford, he had battled for 206 balls for 101 not out to take India to safety in Ravindra Jadeja's company. An enduring image from that match — one of India's greatest draws in Tests, after being two down for none in the second innings — was the overeagerness of Ben Stokes to shake hands, but if the England captain had known how unfairly cricket had treated Washington, he might not have wanted to deny him that most deserved hundred. That innings showed yet again why Ravi Shastri, the coach when Washington made his Test debut, wanted him to bat up the order. Some four years ago, he wanted Tamil Nadu to make him bat in the top four. He certainly has the temperament and technique for that. W.V. Raman believes Washington is an option at No. 3 for India. 'And if you give him a string of opportunities, it will provide great flexibility to the side because India hasn't had a top-order batter since Virender Sehwag or Rohit Sharma who can bowl, and Washington is a proper bowler,' the former India opener told The Hindu over the phone from Chennai. 'He can be viewed as both a batting all-rounder and a bowling all-rounder.' Indeed. He is a genuine all-rounder. And we have seen how powerfully a proper all-rounder, somebody like Stokes, can influence a Test. 'We talk about the lack of all-rounders but when we have them, we don't slot them right or provide the right opportunities,' says Raman. 'What I admire about Washington is that he has made use of the sporadic opportunities that have come his way.' That has been the case for him at the IPL, too. Even after having a great start to his career in the league with Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017, when he took eight wickets from 11 games at an economy rate of 6.16. After that he turned out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and then Sunrisers Hyderabad. This year, he played for Gujarat Titans, for whom he struck a 29-ball 49 on debut. One recalls him talking happily at the press conference about that knock and thanking the coach for sending him at No. 4. And his face lit up when asked about his bowling; he wasn't given the ball in the game. 'I love bowling,' he said, smiling. 'It is just about me being ready when the opportunity comes and picking up a few wickets.' He has done that in Test cricket as well. He took four for 22 in England's second innings at Lord's and 11 against New Zealand at Pune last October. 'He already has excellent drift and can get better, as spinners mature with age,' says D. Vasu, the former Tamil Nadu all-rounder and coach, who has worked with him in his development. 'When I first saw him as a kid, I was impressed with his skills as a batter and asked him to focus on bowling as well, as it wouldn't be easy to make it big purely as a batter. And he has always been willing to work hard.' True grit The work he has done at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai has helped him fine-tune his game against fast bowling on bouncy tracks. Apart from the technique, what stood out in that hook against Cummins was fearlessness. You also have to admire the way he has taken setbacks in his stride. It cannot be easy sitting on the bench on so many occasions when you know you should really be on the field. Now, they cannot drop him, can they?
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 minutes ago
- First Post
Arjun, Vidit, Nihal, Vaishali: Key players in Chennai Grand Masters 2025
The Chennai Grand Masters tournament is underway. The tournament will feature key Indian players like Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Nihal Sarin. etc. The tournament started on August 8 and will last till August 16, 2025. read more
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 minutes ago
- First Post
BWF World Junior Team Championships 2025: India handed comfortable group-stage draw
India have been placed in Group H alongside Hong Kong China, Nepal, and Ghana as the prestigious event takes place in their backyard for the first time since 2008, at the at the National Centre of Excellence, Amingaon, Guwahati from 6 to 11 October 2025. read more India had reached the quarter-finals of the BWF World Junior Team Championships in Nanchang, China last year, where they lost to eventual winners Indonesia. AFP The Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Friday announced the draw for the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 - Suhandinata Cup (Mixed Team Event), to be held at the National Centre of Excellence, Amingaon, Guwahati, from 6 to 11 October 2025. Second-seeded India will compete in Group H alongside Hong Kong China, Nepal, and Ghana. This prestigious global junior team event returns to India for the first time since 2008 and will feature 37 teams from across the world. The tournament format will see the winner from each group advance to the quarter-finals. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Top seeds Thailand are drawn in Group A with Denmark, Slovenia, and Cook Islands. Defending champions Indonesia are placed in Group C with Türkiye, Romania, and the Netherlands, while 14-time champions China will face Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and Bhutan in Group E. This year a new relay format will be tested in the competition. In the new format there will be best of three sets, where a team reaching 45 points in a relay format wins a set. A set will have each of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles matches with the first match ending after one team reaching nine points and the next match will start. Earlier, the relay format consisted of a single set with a race to 110-points in 10 matches. For the Indian team, medal winners from the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2025 will gain direct entry, while the remaining spots will be decided through a selection trial from 9th to 13th August 2025 at the same venue. Players eligible for the trials include those meeting the BAI ranking cut-offs, Indian shuttlers ranked in the BWF World Junior Top 20, and juniors ranked in the BWF Senior Top 50 as of 29 July 2025. All players selected in the Indian team for the WONDR Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2025 are also invited for the trials, except the medalists who already have direct entry. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Following the Suhandinata Cup, the individual events will also be staged in Guwahati from 13 to 19 October 2025 at the National Centre of Excellence. Groups for the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 – Suhandinata Cup: • Group A: Thailand, Denmark, Slovenia, Cook Islands • Group B: Chinese Taipei, UAE, Canada, England, Norway • Group C: Indonesia, Türkiye, Romania, Netherlands • Group D: Poland, USA, Hungary, Ireland, Philippines • Group E: China, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, Bhutan • Group F: Malaysia, Australia, Sri Lanka, Slovakia, Vietnam • Group G: France, Korea, Portugal, Egypt, Uganda • Group H: India, Hong Kong China, Nepal, Ghana
