England vs India 2018: Three players team India must NOT drop for the third Test

2. Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara is an enigma. He had a terrible match at Lord's after sitting out at Edgbaston. But the conclusion cannot be that simple as Pujara did face a solid 112 balls in the middle. Before getting out to peach of a delivery in second innings at Lord's, he was looking compact in the middle.

It appears as if he is embedded inside a shell. In the first innings, Pujara scored just a single run in the 25 balls that he faced. He clearly puts pressure on the rest of the batsmen. The woeful opening stands and Pujara's blocking rate together heavily forces Virat Kohli to step up every single time he comes out to bat.

But with India's batting looking fragile, Pujara becomes a vital cog in the batting order. It is imperative for Pujara to stick around and score runs. The anchor of the innings should somehow find a way to build on his strike-rate. He must identify bad balls to pickup boundaries. His running between the wickets should be less frenetic and more intense at the same time.

Dropping Pujara cannot be a solution to India's woes. On the other hand, trusting his game can help improve the solidity of the side. Commitment is an irreplaceable attribute and Pujara is an excellent exponent of it. It is up to Kohli and team India to utilise Pujara to the maximum extent.

Pujara scored only 172 runs at a poor average of 14.33 in his county stint in 2018. Still, he has to bring his experience into play and stick to his role. A little more clarity in his approach and positivity at the crease can help the team compete.