The succession plan or as it is being called 'the transition phase' has been set into motion by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the World Test Championship (WTC) final debacle, particularly in red-ball cricket. The practice time was less, the players were coming from T20 cricket, Australia were stronger, whatever may be said, Team India looked off-colour and just plain listless at the end in the WTC final.
With a new WTC cycle commencing next month for India, there were a few major changes expected to be had. While there is one major change with Cheteshwar Pujara being dropped after scores of 14 and 27 which in a nutshell summed up how he has performed in the last few years, the rest of the batting line-up, especially was retained keeping in mind the South Africa Test series. This will be India's second assignment of WTC 2023-25.
Pujara has been one of the most prolific batters for India at No. 3 in Test cricket, who is most known for his doggedness and ability to wear out bowling attacks. In the last few years, even though his strike rate has been on the increase, his consistency has taken a hit as he has averaged just 29.7 since 2020 and with the new cycle starting, it was probably the right time for the BCCI to look at the newer crop.
Here's a look at a few players who can potentially replace Pujara at No. 3 slot:
1. Shubman Gill - Team India in the past has tried playing Shubman Gill in Test cricket, however, at every occasion, either of the openers got injured whether KL Rahul or skipper Rohit Sharma or Mayank Agarwal in the past. Gill with his consistency and brilliant technique has become an all-format certainty for India and thus, with no Pujara this time around, the 23-year-old finally could be tried in the middle order.
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal - If the team prefers continuity over experiments, then Shubman Gill might stay as captain Rohit Sharma's opening partner and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 21-year-old prodigy who has gotten into the squad for the first time could be tried at No. 3. Jaiswal will not only provide a left-hand option in the middle overs but with the way he has scored runs in the last season both in domestic and in the IPL, he might be given a longer run as well.
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad - Ruturaj Gaikwad was a surprise inclusion given there were already three openers in the squad including Jaiswal and he didn't really set the first-class stage on fire, however, he has gotten a call-up after a smashing season in the IPL. If the team management finds Jaiswal too raw or that it might be too early for him, Gaikwad could be given a run at No. 3.
4. Ajinkya Rahane - Now that Pujara is not there and Ajinkya Rahane is back in the vice-captain's chair, it won't be a bad idea to have the experienced batter in the No. 3 position. Rahane has batted four in Virat Kohli's absence previously and if India wants to continue having a veteran in the crucial position, the vice-captain won't be a bad option given he is in good touch and played in the IPL in the same position as well. Rahane can blunt the new ball as well as played his shots, which might mean that Shubman Gill could be tried at the No. 5 spot if Jaiswal isn't seen as a middle-order option.
