The No.3 Conundrum — India in the Midst Of an Unwanted Stat Amid 2nd IND vs SA Test in Guwahati

Ever come across that game, where the host puts forth a word or a situation in front of the contestants who are supposed to come up with a single word that fits the bill? Well, if anyone was to play the game describing the feeling for India, it would be fitting in a word easily – ‘Unsure.’

If anything, the Indians have looked rattled in their own den. Once a Test powerhouse, the hosts have not been able to answer a single question from the South Africans. On a wicket that has turned out to be the exact opposite to what Eden Gardens dished out, India’s game has remained pretty much the same – spineless and going down early exactly like the sun in Guwahati.

This country is not used to the taste of what is being presented to them currently. Mind you, this is a Test powerhouse that did not lose more than two home games in eight years. Or so it ‘was!’ This Indian side with Gautam Gambhir at the helm has lost four Tests at home out of the last six – and are on their way to lose a fifth one in a day’s time.

The quality of cricket for the players in India is not the issue, like it has never been. The magnitude of the problem is much lesser than the quality aspect, but one which can put a serious dent to the cricketing aspects of the side for a long time. There seems to be no clarity in the side with respect to the roles being assigned to the players, who are being shuffled up and down the batting order just for fun.

Where are India Losing the Plot?

In the dressing room! Though it may sound a bit off-track, the Indians are losing their battles in the dressing room, even before they walk out onto the field. Their choice of preferences in the playing XI, coupled with the structure of weird batting orders has led the team into a serious lapse. The team indeed, is on the cusp of a second Test series whitewash in the last three home series.

Since Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin have hung their boots from the longest format, things have not been the same for India. The gap in experience was always going to be there. But the decisions that the management has taken with respect to playing XI’s and the constant shuffling of batting orders has not sat well for the side.

Since the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India have tried Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair and Washington Sundar at No.3. That being said, the management has not been able to stick with one option, by giving the player a longer rope. This constant chopping and changing has put the team in an unsure state of mind where the player has no idea what is expected out of him.

After a decent Test series against the West Indies, Sai Sudharsan was dropped from the playing XI for the first Test against the Proteas in Kolkata. Furthermore, Washington Sundar was promoted to bat at No.3, where he did an outstanding job. Cut to the second Test in Guwahati, Sudharsan comes back at three, and Washington walks out to bat at No.8. The No.3 spot is one of the last positions a team should play with, considering the importance that the spot holds.

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India Toying With the No.3 Spot

Ever since the retirement of Cheteshwar Pujara, the No.3 has been a solid point of discussion for the Indians. Since the last 19 Test matches that India have played in, the management has not backed a single player at No.3 for more than two times – barring once instance when Sai Sudharsan batted four times consecutively across two series, which were months apart.

This is a serious problem which has clearly come to bite the Indians back. The abundance of talent and a strong domestic structure have not managed to give India Pujara’s successor, which should be a point of concern. The former batter from Saurashtra held the No.3 position for years, and played a pivotal role at the spot. A team cannot keep juggling between players at No.3 and get away with it easily – something which is visible in the Indian setup since the past 19 Tests.

Indian Batters at No.3 in the last 19 Tests

The BCCI will have to get back to the drawing board, and carve a way for the team to get back on its feat. Foreign teams which tour to India are no longer vulnerable to spin bowling like they once used to be. But somehow, the Indians have gotten unsure about the kind of pitches they need, and what their line-up has got to be. The team is in transition, but surely isn’t as bad as it is portrayed to be.

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