Contenders for Rahul Dravid's number three spot

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 27: Rahul Dravid of India bats during day four of the Fourth Test Match between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval on January 27, 2012 in Adelaide, Australia.

Rahul Dravid, a master of classic batting and survivor of the Indian team, announced his retirement in March this year, and since then questions regarding who would replace him have been continually aired.

As India begin their Test journey in late August, let’s take quick look at players who can replace Rahul Dravid. There are only a few names in this list: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane Chateshwar Pujara.

Virat Kohli:- A star on the rise and a regular performer for India in One-Day Internationals, having played eight matches for India in Tests at an average of 32.73 with three 50s & a hundred 100s, Kohli hasn’t been as impressive in test matches as in ODIs. He needs to show lot more potential & trust in his batting in the long form of the game in comparison to the shorter one.

Rohit Sharma:- A youngster with lots of talent but unable to showcase that on the field, which has cost him his place many times in the Indian squad. This disadvantage saw him dropped from the 2011 World-Cup squad and it also meant he couldn’t cement his place in the Indian team.

Rohit has played 20 One-dayers for India at average of 33.23, but has an impressive First Class record, having 46 FC matches and scoring runs with a high average of 63.52. But he still needs to be more focused on his game & make the most of what he has. Last season, Rohit was selected for the Test series against the West Indies & Australia but could not make it into the playing XI

Cheteshwar Pujara:- Pujara has a lot talent in him and has also been on selectors radar, but hasn’t been selected in the Indian team because of injuries. Pujara has played 3 tests for India, the last being in 2011 against South Africa. Pujara also has a wonderful Track record in First-class matches, playing 56 FC matches at an average of 55.81 and has also scored 3 triple centuries. Pujara needs to concentrate more on his fitness, which would then make him a true contender for the number three spot.

Ajinkya Rahane:- A player who reminds us of the great Dravid, Rahane has same technique that Dravid had in his play. Rahane has a great record in First-Class matches, has played 50 FC matches until now and has an unbelievable average of 68.47. Ajinkya played 10 ODI’s for India last year. Like Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane was selected for the test series against West Indies & Australia and could not break into the playing XI. Ajinkya has a lot of talent in him but needs to show more faith and make most of a given opportunity.

Suresh Raina:- He started his test career with a dream-come-true century on debut against Sri Lanka. Since then, he hasn’t been as impressive. Raina has played 15 Test matches but has scored runs at a poor average of 29.58, Raina is a good and capable player and a handy all-rounder, but he needs to work on his weaker areas, which is facing the short-pitched ball.

These are the players who can take the place of Rahul Dravid, but everyone on this list has his own positives & negatives. All of them need to do well in the upcoming matches, the best of whom will be a contender for the number three spot.