Three Tests and a temptation at No. 3

In Indian cricket, security is often a mirage. Even those who earn trust must keep proving they deserve it, innings by innings. Especially in a transitioning side, roles are rarely fixed for long. The silence between two low scores fills quickly with noise. That's why, just three Tests into his return, the Karun Nair question has already crept into selection chatter. Do India stick with him at No. 3, or pivot early to Sai Sudharsan?

Nair has batted at No. 3 in four innings, with scores of 31, 26, 40, and 14. While not flattering on paper, his batting has shown rhythm and control, especially in the early passages of play. However, he tends to defend with a slightly angled bat, slicing across the line from an initial position pointing at gully, and deliveries in that corridor have induced the edge more than once.

The murmurs for change don't stem from Nair looking out of place, but from a sense that he hasn't quite kicked on. Sudharsan, just 23, brings the promise of long-term returns and the value of a left-handed presence. This tour may well have been his finishing school. But there's still time. And perhaps, there should be.

India have been chasing stability at No. 3 since Cheteshwar Pujara's decline post-2020. Nair, like Pujara, is a batter who's muscled his way back through sheer domestic weight. Now, finally, he has a run at a slot that historically demands both patience and protection.

Which is why age cannot be the only lens. Nair may be 33, but his method is compact and positive, underpinned by the composure that comes with long seasons behind him. And that still offers value. This top order, for the first time in a while, is beginning to show signs of coherence. KL Rahul's pairing with Yashasvi Jaiswal has ended the roulette up top. Shubman Gill at No. 4 has clicked immediately. Why rattle the chain now?

The coaching staff has acknowledged Nair's rhythm and tempo, and wants more runs from him. It frames Nair as a work-in-progress, not a failed experiment. It invites patience.

Across the world, teams are grappling with the same uncertainty at No. 3. In the opposition camp, one quiet outing from Ollie Pope is enough to spark calls for Jacob Bethell, a prodigious left-hander waiting for a look-in. Australia recently dropped Marnus Labuschagne, handing the No.3 slot to Cameron Green. South Africa pushed Wiaan Mulder up to first drop, and not just in any match, but a World Test Championship Final.

Amid the churn, there have been some success stories, but largely in Asia. Dinesh Chandimal averages 50.35 at No. 3. Will Young, stepping in for Kane Williamson on New Zealand's tour of India last year, had a series to remember. Shubman Gill started well in the role last year since having to move one spot down post Virat Kohli's retirement. Since the start of 2023, there have been 13 centuries by No. 3s in Asia, more than the rest of the world combined (14). But by and large, even this most traditional of roles has been destabilised in the game at this moment.

Yet India can be different. They've been different. For decades, No. 3 was their bedrock, one less thing to worry about. It can be again, if they let it. Sudharsan's time will come. He already looks like a batter who could shape the next decade. But this moment, this challenge in England, belongs to Nair, someone who's done the grind, seen the shift, and returned. If ever there was a moment to back experience and shape a role rather than audition it, it is now.

The question is whether India can hold that belief long enough for it to show.