Who will be India's No. 3 in Afghanistan one-off Test?
What's the story
Ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has admitted that the team is yet to finalize a suitable player for the crucial No. 3 batting position in Tests. The issue has been especially pronounced after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements. While India have Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as their mainstay openers, with skipper Shubman Gill coming in at No. 4.
Player rotation
Various players tried at No. 3
Since the retirements of the two veterans, several players have been tried at the No. 3 spot, including Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Karun Nair. The last Test assignment saw Washington Sundar bat in that position against South Africa in Kolkata. However, no player has made a strong case for themselves yet.
Coach's perspective
Need for stability
Ten Doeschate stressed the need for stability in the No. 3 position, saying, "I think you need to look at the incumbents for that role and maybe stick with someone." He acknowledged that it's a tough but crucial batting position. However, after their Test against Afghanistan, India's next red-ball assignment isn't until the second half of August in Sri Lanka, where they will play just two Tests.
Future prospects
Padikkal, Sudharsan frontrunners
Ten Doeschate hinted that the next No. 3 could be either Padikkal or Sudharsan, but also noted the challenges of thinking long-term right now. He said, "Dev [Devdutt Padikkal] comes in with a ton of runs in domestic cricket across all the formats, and obviously Sai's got a nice IPL with Gujarat, so they're both in good form."
Sleep transition
Adjusting from IPL to Tests
With India playing this Test just five days after the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) final, ten Doeschate acknowledged the need for players to adjust their sleep cycles. He said, "You're playing in the IPL final five days ago at night-time, and now you've got to come and start a Test match early in the morning at 34, 35 degrees."