As India gets ready for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, there’s uncertainty about who will bat at No. 3. Shubman Gill’s availability is in question after he hurt his thumb in a practice session recently. Veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has shared his opinion on who might fill that spot.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s Thoughts on KL Rahul Batting at No. 3
Pujara, who has been key to India’s success in past tours of Australia, is not part of the current squad. In the 2018-19 and 2020-21 series, he faced over 1200 and 928 balls, respectively, helping India out of difficult situations. Pujara has suggested that KL Rahul should take up the important No. 3 batting spot.
During a conversation on Star Sports’ ‘Press Room’ show, Cheteshwar Pujara said:
“I don’t know what would be the batting order but I’ve heard that KL Rahul is likely to open. However, I would prefer him at No. 3. He has the experience to bat in that position. Ideally, it would be easy for Rahul since he has batted in the middle-order and currently he bats at no. 5. So, it would’ve been beneficial for India if Rahul bats one-down instead of opening the innings,”
Further, the veteran batter also highlighted the potential lineup plans, seeing the possibility of Devdutt Padikkal being considered to maintain a left-hand, right-hand batting combination. However, Pujara backed KL Rahul to come at number 3 position as he believes it would be the more comfortable choice for him.
“I’ve heard that Padikkal might be at No. 3 due to the left-hand, right-hand combination. But I think, it will be easier for KL to bat first-down,” Pujara concluded.
Pujara’s Impact in Australia: A Look Back at His Record
Pujara, with 103 Test matches and a strong record in Australia, has been a key figure in India’s success. In 11 matches, he has scored 993 runs at an average of 47.28, including three centuries and five half-centuries. His most memorable performance came during the 2018-19 series, where he was named Player of the Series, scoring 521 runs from over 1200 balls, including three centuries.
In the challenging 2020-21 tour, amidst the pandemic, Pujara faced 928 balls and scored 271 runs in four matches. While his runs were fewer, his resilience stood out, especially his willingness to take body blows, contributing to India’s historic win at the Gabba.
So far, in his career, Pujara has played 11 matches on the Australian soil and has amassed 993 runs at an average of 47.28 with three centuries and five half-centuries. Recently, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood talked about Pujara’s absence from the upcoming series. He said:
“I am happy that Cheteshwar Pujara is not here. He is obviously someone who bats time and spends a lot of time at the crease and makes you earn his wicket every time. Has done really well in Australia on previous tours,” Hazlewood told the media in Perth.
INDIA SQUAD FOR IND VS AUS – Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25:
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD FOR IND VS AUS – Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25:
Pat Cummins (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (Wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (Wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
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