ENG vs IND 2025: India’s top-order troubles persist—finding a reliable no. 3 still a challenge. Who should India continue with from long-term’s POV.
When Karun Nair celebrated a fine 204-run knock in Canterbury against the England Lions, many fans felt a sigh of relief about India’s new number three. But the management decided to assign the number six position to the right-handed batter. This opened the gate in the red-ball format for debutant Sai Sudharsan.
Sudharsan came into the five-match series with runs under his belt in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The southpaw finished with 759 runs in 15 innings and found rhythm with the blade. Batting is all about rhythm and time in the middle. Still, India’s number three in four innings of the series have a four-ball duck, 30, 31, and 26 to show.
After the defeat at Leeds, they promoted Nair to number three. But his poor return of 57 runs across two innings, even on a dry and flat batting surface, didn’t inspire the management.
Read More: ENG vs IND, 2025: What Karun Nair needs to focus on to make his comeback fruitful
Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan fail to gain momentum at number three
Sudharsan had a terrible time walking at the crease in Headingley. Just 10 minutes before the lunch break, he had the only job of defending Ben Stokes. But he didn’t earn success. After three balls, he was dismissed on the leg side. The home side kept bowling in his pads to invite the flick shot from the southpaw.
It seemed to be a weakness of the Tamil Nadu batter. He repeated the same mistake in the second innings. When he got out, Sudharsan was on a score of 30. Stokes applied the same plan by continuing to bowl in the legs. The 23-year-old couldn’t resist playing the shot and found Zak Crawley at deep mid-wicket.
Because the visitors brought both Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar to Edgbaston, one of Sudharsan or Nair had to make way. The former was unlucky. Meanwhile, the Jodhpur-born didn’t go through a decent period in Birmingham.
In the first innings, it was a brutal delivery to dismiss the 33-year-old. He looked to put his bat up in front of his face as a shield to protect himself but could only guide it to the second slip. However, he looked good for his 31 runs in 50 deliveries.
In the second innings, Nair again found himself set for 26 runs. He was driving the ball confidently, and that was a trap from the home side. Brydon Crase went full and into the stumps as the batter brought the bat with the angle and got an outside edge into the slips.
Now going to Lord’s, he doesn’t have the runs to back his position. It’s one thing to look good in the middle. But as a batter, runs are the currency after all.
Read More: Is Sai Sudharsan geared up for Test cricket?
Debut for Abhimanyu Easwaran at Lord’s?
With the failure of both batters, the selectors may look to hand Abhimanyu Easwaran a debut. The right-handed batter has gone through the grind in the first-class format. For Bengal, he has smashed 7841 runs in 177 innings at an average of 48.70, thanks to 27 centuries.
With both Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul registering centuries in the first two Tests, the opening stand is sealed. Easwaran won’t mind batting at three. With India already trying Nair and Sudharsan, will they throw another youngster in the ring?
The 29-year-old was also in decent touch during the two unofficial Tests against England Lions. He smashed 68 and 80 in the second innings of both fixtures in Canterbury and Northampton.
India’s number three conundrum continues in Tests
From the start of 2001 to 31 December 2010, Rahul Dravid took care of India’s number three position in the red-ball format. In 142 innings, the veteran registered 6862 runs at an average of 52.78, thanks to 18 centuries and 32 fifties. Once he retired, the onus was on Cheteshwar Pujara.
From the start of 2011 to the end of 2023, the Saurashtra batter earned success in the business with 6457 runs in 154 innings. He carried an average of 44.22 with 18 centuries and 31 half-centuries. It was also the second most Test runs in this period at number three, only behind Kane Williamson’s 7645 runs.
Since January 2023, Shubman Gill has cracked 899 Test runs at number three in 24 innings. With the new India captain finding rhythm at four in the ongoing series in England, he is unlikely to move up to three.
Number three is always a challenging position in the longest format. Some of the greats of the game, including Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Dravid, and others, have batted at this position. Once the opener fails and the number three gains momentum, it brings calmness in the dressing room.
If the number three starts failing, nerves start to grow in the dressing room. England have produced good batting tracks in the series. It will be important to see off the new ball and make it easy for the middle order. But it’s also important to put a century to share responsibility.
There are clouds over Nair’s position on the side at Lord’s next week, even if India level the series. Will they turn back to Sudharsan? Will they throw Easwaran in the ring? Or will they back Nair once more? However, whoever walks at three for India will be under tremendous pressure.
Read More: IND vs ENG, Tests, 2025: India’s opening options on England tour
