IND vs ENG: Did Team India miss the experience of Cheteshwar Pujara at No.3 in Hyderabad?

India’s Test specialist batter Cheteshwar Pujara’s last appearance came against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final in 2023 where the senior pro lacked the cutting edge as he garnered 14 and 27 in the two innings of the crucial encounter.

After India’s crushing defeat at the hands of Australia, Pujara was shown the exit door and was not picked since then. The experienced campaigner was overlooked by the selectors while selecting the squad for the five-match Test series against England.

Shubman Gill Flop At No.3 in Test Cricket

Also, a sudden change in Shubman Gill’s batting position from the opening slot to the No.3 has been a topic of discussion of late. Ahead of the first Test, Shubman Gill even expressed his interest in batting at one down.

The Punjab cricketer opened up about his game plan of thriving at No.3 position wherein he spoke about approaching the game with caution and aggression according to the situation. However, that wasn’t meant to be the case in the Hyderabad Test as the youngster lacked the experience to dictate terms when it mattered.

Cheteshwar Pujara could have made a difference at No.3?

Even as India engineered a sizable lead of 190 runs in the first innings, England made a stellar rebound in the second innings by garnering 420 runs, a comeback that nobody saw coming in the first place. The Hyderabad pitch deteriorated over the course of the game and by Day 4, the surface got a bit tricky, which saw unpredictable bounce and turn.

The spinners cashed in on the opportunities to better effect and certainly gave the hosts a run for their money in the run-chase of 231. As a result, there was some psychological pressure of chasing a target and India certainly missed Pujara's experience in this particular scenario. Had Pujara been there, he would have made a difference in the run-chase, in a game where India fell short by 28 runs.

Cheteshwar Pujara against England at home in Test Cricket

The Saurashtra batter has done pretty well against England by negating their bowling attack at home, mustering 1778 runs at an average of around 40. He has hammered five centuries, seven fifties and a double century against this opposition. Notably, his career-best score of 206* came against England in Ahmedabad in 2012.