India's batting collapsed under pressure, failing to chase 193, as England clinched a thrilling 22 run victory in the third Test at Lord's, thanks to a resilient performance by their pacers on the final day.
A number of reasons contributed to India's loss, including Rishabh Pant's crucial run-out at the stroke of lunch on Day 3 in the first innings, and below-par performances from their lead batters in Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Karun Nair, compounded by batting collapses in both innings.
Karun's struggles with the bat at the crucial No. 3 position is a big headache for Team India.
In the first Test at Headingley, Karun batted at No. 6 before the team management reshuffled the batting line-up, promoting him to No. 3 in place of young Sai Sudarshan, who was dropped after scoring just 0 and 30 in his debut Test.
Despite getting starts with scores of 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the last two Tests, Karun has failed to provide the stability expected of the vital No. 3 position.
Rahul Dravid, regarded as one of India's finest No. 3 batters, was known as 'The Wall' for his impeccable defensive technique. He anchored India's innings in challenging conditions on countless occasions -- amassing 10,524 runs in 136 Tests at No. 3, averaging 52.88, including 28 centuries and 50 fifties.
In fact, Dravid boasts of the second highest tally by a batter at No. 3 overall in Test cricket only behind Kumar Sangakkara, who amassed 11,679 runs in 125 Tests at an incredible average of 60.82, with 37 centuries and 50 fifties.
After Dravid's retirement in 2012, Cheteshwar Pujara emerged as his natural successor at No. 3. With a similar approach, Pujara wore down bowlers with his steely determination and rock-solid defence, contributing significantly to India's overseas victories. He scored 6,529 runs in 95 Tests at No. 3, averaging 44.41, with 18 centuries and 32 fifties.
Pujara lost his place in the Indian team after the 2023 World Test Championship final loss to Australia due to inconsistent form, as India moved on to younger players to fill the No. 3 role.
India's search for a reliable batter at No. 3 remains elusive. Even the experienced duo of Shubman Gill and K L Rahul have been tested at No. 3 but struggled to deliver.
Gill, who struggled as opener, switched to the No. 3 position in Tests, but even there he didn't make much of an impact.
In 30 innings at No. 3, Gill scored 1,019 runs at an average of 37.74 with three centuries and three fifties.
After Virat Kohli's retirement earlier this year, Gill shifted to No. 4 during the ongoing Test series in England, where he has thrived, smashing 607 runs in six innings at an average of 101.17 -- with three centuries, including a career-best 269.
Rahul, an experienced opener, struggled at No. 3 during the MCG Test in December to accommodate Rohit Sharma at the top of the order, scoring only 24 and a duck in the two innings.
After Pujara's exit, India have tried as many as six options at No. 3, including Devdutt Padikkal who filled in for the injured Gill during the Perth Test against Australia in November last year.
Virat Kohli also batted at No. 3 in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand last year where he made 0 and 70 after Gill was ruled out with illness.
In the 22 Tests in the last two years after Pujara's departure, India's No. 3 batters have combined scored 1,232 runs at an average of 32.42. All three centuries at No. 3 since 2023 have been scored by Gill -- all of them at home.
India's No. 3 batters in Tests since July 2023:
| Date | Opposition | Venue | No. 3 Batter | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 12-14, 2023 | West Indies | Dominica | Shubman Gill | 6 | Did Not Bat |
| July 20-24, 2023 | West Indies | Trinidad | Shubman Gill | 10 | 29 not out |
| December 26-28, 2023 | South Africa | Centurion | Shubman Gill | 2 | 26 |
| January 3-4, 2024 | South Africa | Newlands | Shubman Gill | 36 | 10 |
| January 25-28, 2024 | England | Hyderabad | Shubman Gill | 23 | 0 |
| February 2-5, 2024 | England | Visakhapatnam | Shubman Gill | 34 | 104 |
| February 15-18, 2024 | England | Saurashtra | Shubman Gill | 0 | 91 |
| February 23-26, 2024 | England | Ranchi | Shubman Gill | 38 | 52 not out |
| March 7-9, 2024 | England | Dharamsala | Shubman Gill | 110 | Did Not Bat |
| September 19-22, 2024 | Bangladesh | Chennai | Shubman Gill | 0 | 119 not out |
| September 27-October 1, 2024 | Bangladesh | Kanpur | Shubman Gill | 39 | 6 |
| October 16-20, 2024 | New Zealand | Bengaluru | Virat Kohli | 0 | 70 |
| October 24-26, 2024 | New Zealand | Pune | Shubman Gill | 30 | 23 |
| November 1-3, 2024 | New Zealand | Mumbai | Shubman Gill | 90 | 1 |
| November 22-25, 2024 | Australia | Perth | Devdutt Padikkal | 0 | 25 |
| December 6-8, 2024 | Australia | Adelaide | Shubman Gill | 31 | 28 |
| December 14-18, 2024 | Australia | Brisbane | Shubman Gill | 1 | Did Not Bat |
| December 26-30, 2024 | Australia | Melbourne | K L Rahul | 24 | 0 |
| January 3-5, 2025 | Australia | Sydney | Shubman Gill | 20 | 13 |
| June 20-24, 2025 | England | Headingley | Sai Sudharsan | 0 | 30 |
| July 2-6, 2025 | England | Edgbaston | Karun Nair | 31 | 26 |
Overall records of India's current batters at No. 3:
| Player | Tests | Innings | Not Out | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100 | 50 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | 17 | 30 | 3 | 1,019 | 119 not out | 37.74 | 61.53 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| K L Rahul | 5 | 7 | 0 | 112 | 54 | 16.00 | 60.21 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Karun Nair | 2 | 4 | 0 | 111 | 40 | 27.75 | 58.11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sai Sudharsan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 15.00 | 57.69 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
After the defeat in the Lord's Test, India face a must-win match at Old Trafford to stay alive in the series.
Will they give the experienced Karun one final chance or will they go back to the inexperienced but highly-rated Sudharsan? They also have the option of bringing in uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has a good record as opener for Bengal in domestic cricket. He played a good knock of 80 at No. 3 for India A in the second unofficial Test against England Lions at Northampton in June.
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