3 players who can replace Cheteshwar Pujara at No.3 for India in Tests vs West Indies
India are touring the West Indies for two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is, starting from July 12. The Test series kicks off India's WTC 2023-25 campaign. They made the finals on both previous occasions, faltering to New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023).
The Indian selectors have dropped Cheteshwar Pujara from the Test squad following the World Test Championship final. The right-handed batter could only manage scores of 14 & 27, despite being in excellent form in the County cricket season. However, the rest of the batters in the top five have kept their place in the team.
Here's a look at the three best options to replace Pujara at No.3:
#1 Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane is back as India's Vice Captain in Tests. https://t.co/W1cse8q71p
It might be an interesting strategy to promote Ajinkya Rahane to No.3. The Indian vice-captain is technically sound against fast bowling - something he has proven over the years with a good overseas record. Rahane's record in the West Indies is excellent - he has scored 514 runs in eight innings at an average of 102.80, including two centuries and three half-centuries. In such a case, the top order would be as follows:
Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill.
This makes sense for multiple reasons. Shubman Gill could slowly transition into a middle-order batter, the same way Virat Kohli batted at five when Sachin Tendulkar was in the final stages of his career. The presence of three experienced batters will also allow some breathing space for Yashasvi Jaiswal if he opens the innings with the captain.
#2 Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been among the best performers in domestic cricket in the last few seasons. The left-handed batter has scored 1,845 runs in 15 matches at an average of 80.21 and a strike rate of 67.48. He has hit nine centuries and two half-centuries, exhibiting exceptional consistency.
The 21-year-old Mumbai batter has primarily been an opener at the domestic level. However, there is a distinction between the quality of bowling attacks in domestic cricket and international cricket. It might be a wiser call to phase him into the India set-up at No.3 and not tinker with the existing opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
#3 Shubman Gill
I have had this feeling, an instinct more than anything else, that Gill's eventual home in test cricket will be at no 3. It will be interesting if he plays there in the West Indies with Jaiswal at the top.
The other alternative could be to shift Shubman Gill down to No.3 and allow Yashasvi Jaiswal to bat in his natural position. Gill has experience batting at No.3 for Punjab.
Gill has had an average start to his Test career - scoring 921 runs in 16 Tests at an average of 32.89, with just two centuries and four half-centuries. He has opened the batting in all but one innings.
A stroke-maker at No.3 might also prove to be a useful tactic for the Indian team. Gill is technically adept against both pace and spin bowling. However, he has a major weakness against the incoming delivery.