File photo: India's Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair run between the wickets during the first day of the fifth Test cricket match between India and England, at The Oval, in London, England,
Credit: PTI photo
Bengaluru: Amidst a plethora of superlative efforts by the Indian batters throughout the just-concluded England vs India series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the performance of the No. 3 batters -- Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair -- stuck out like a sore thumb.
Sai Sudharsan (140 runs in 6 innings at an average of 23.33) and Karun Nair (111 runs in 4 innings at 27.75) neither could anchor the innings after a good start at the top of the order nor could they stabilise after early dismissals.
Evidently, both were batting out of their comfort zone. While Sudharsan made himself a name worth a call to the Test squad due to his exploits as an opener, Nair has primarily given his best below No. 3.
That said, in an era where there are two-three worthies competing for each position in the country, the trick is to adapt and grab the spot. Both Nair and Sudharsan, despite getting a few good starts, couldn’t go on to play an innings substantive enough to secure their places.
While the team management might show more patience with Sudharsan given his age, the 33-year-old Nair will have to hope his brief but assured stints in the crease and a crucial half-century in the first innings of The Oval Test in the toughest batting conditions of the series, throw him another lifeline.
That brings us back to India’s No. 3 conundrum that has prolonged for too long to be ignored.
Since Cheteshwar Pujara’s last Test in June 2023 at The Oval against Australia, India have tried as many as six players over the last two years and five across the last 10 Tests (see the table) without much success. Skipper Shubman Gill, who demanded and got the No. 3 slot following the axing of Pujara, the most successful No. 3 batter after the peerless Rahul Dravid, experienced mixed results before deciding to occupy the No. 4 spot following the retirement of Virat Kohli.
Besides Gill, Nair and Sudharsan, India have also used Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul, the man for all seasons and positions, on a make-shift basis with no encouraging results.
Despite one of the most prolific batting displays in the history of Test cricket, the nagging issue wouldn’t have been lost on Gill and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir who know too well the importance of No. 3 position and the impact it can have on the batting line-up, especially in the SENA countries, if a reliable batter is not found.
Adorned by modern greats like Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Kane Williamson, the No. 3 spot is a bridge between the top and the middle order with the job of either stabilising an innings in case of an early loss or building on a foundation laid by the openers. Often expected to play long innings -- whether to see off the difficult phase or to tire out opposition’s bowlers -- they are required to possess the attributes of both an opener and a middle-order batter with technical excellence assuming as much importance as temperament.
A weak No. 3 can expose the middle-order too early while a reliable one adds stability and resilience. The position, therefore, is critical not only in terms of tactic but also mindsets of the following batters.
While India were lucky to offset the failure of No. 3s in England, partly due to the flat nature of the pitches in most Tests, they will not get the similar conditions every time and everywhere.