India's Test number 3 conundrum

Cheteshwar Pujara did not hold on to the number three spot

With Team India all set to play seven Tests in the space of three months, there is a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the number 3 spot in the batting line up. After Rahul Dravid’s retirement, Cheteshwar Pujara had made the number three spot his own with some gargantuan performances in Indian conditions and also a splendid century in Johannesburg. But as cricket is a game of uncertainties, a year later he is fighting for his spot along with Rohit Sharma and possibly KL Rahul.

The Pujara quandary

The turnaround in Cheteshwar Pujara’s fortune can be understood from the fact that since the New-Zealand tour in 2014 he has averaged 24.15 in 10 Tests while his overall Test average is 47.11. The rapid decline in average is more shocking for Pujara because he has regularly been deemed as India’s best technician.

But if we look deeply into the numbers, then he averages 22.2 in England and 15 in New Zealand. Considering the fact that most of the Indian batsman had a dismal England tour, he should be forgiven for his numbers in the UK. In Australia though he averaged a not so bad 33.50 before getting dropped.

Recently Rahul Dravid opined that he thinks Pujara is only a big score away from regaining confidence. We also need to remember the fact that he has double hundreds against Australia and England which is no mean feat. So for somebody with such immense potential and temperament, a chance again at number three is not a far-fetched dream.

Is Rohit Sharma an able replacement?

In the last two Tests India has played, Rohit Sharma has shouldered the responsibility of batting at number 3. During the six Test matches abroad since the start of the New Zealand tour, he has averaged 29.9 while his overall average stands at 39.29.

His away numbers are only slightly better than Cheteshwar Pujara although he played only a single Test during the England tour where every Indian batsman failed and did not have to face the new ball like the Saurashtra batsman who most of the times found himself performing the duty of an opener.

Rohit Sharma although provides the X-factor to the Indian team but his tendency to poke outside the off-stump and temperament which ditches him in crunch situations, make him an investment worth its weight in gold in Indian conditions but offers no guarantee in testing away conditions.

Can KL Rahul provide the solution?

KL Rahul had the most shocking debut possible for a batsman, but his century in the next match in Sydney silenced all his critics. He looks more in the Cheteshwar Pujara mould than Rohit Sharma. He likes to wait for the bad ball and has the temperament to play for long periods. Although he has played as an opener in the Indian team in his last match, he is a viable option at number 3.

Another dilemma with playing KL Rahul at number three is that Shikhar Dhawan as an opener is extremely vulnerable in away conditions. So if India persists with the Karnataka batsman at number three and Dhawan again falters during the overseas trips, the team will be left napping.

Overseas caliber should have a say in the final call

As we can see, India’s number three predicament has no clear cut solution. Both Pujara and Rohit Sharma have abysmal records in away Tests, but personally I feel that Pujara’s better technique should pip him ahead of Rohit in the race for the number three slot.

The fact that he is the proven performer out of the three on the international Test scene should be taken into consideration. If he can blunt Steyn, Morkel and Philander in South Africa, then he can do it against England and Australia in the future.

Remember how Rahul Dravid struggled in his first tour to Australia in 1999? The team persisted with him during their next trip down under four years later and he triumphed by winning the player of the series award.

KL Rahul can also bat at that spot, but he should ideally open because of Shikhar Dhawan’s vulnerability in away conditions. So far, he has been a sub-continent bully. He should pave way for Rahul even though he scored a quick-fire hundred against Bangladesh last month.

The last thing India needs is a temporary number three who fails again in the overseas Tests.