Don't move around Cheteshwar Pujara according to team's convenience: GR Viswanath

After Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat in the historic Test that welcomed Afghanistan into the big league on Thursday here, KL Rahul was padded up along with Shikhar Dhawan as the teams lined up for the national anthem before the start of play. Regular opener Murali Vijay was conspicuous by his absence as he was "receiving treatment" before walking out to bat with Dhawan. That both Vijay and Dhawan scored contrasting centuries, laying the foundation for India's innings and 262-run victory over the Test debutants in just six sessions, was a testimony to their form and approach on a fine batting strip.

Interestingly, Cheteshwar Pujara, India's dependable No. 3 batsman over the years, had not padded up. No, he was certainly not dropped from the playing 11 but was pushed down to No. 4, the position that is Virat Kohli's by right in Tests.

It was a move to accommodate India's third Test opener KL Rahul at No. 3, considering the prolific form that he was in the Indian Premier League for Kings XI Punjab and who did not let the opportunity slip by scoring 54.

Pujara will now be under pressure and also be left wondering where he would bat in the five Tests in England when Kohli returns to his No. 4. That said, Pujara is perhaps the best prepared Indian batsman, having spent the last month and a half in England, playing for Yorkshire in the English county championship. Though he did not score big in the English summer – accumulating 100 runs in 8 innings (4 matches) and a highest of 41 against Essex, incidentally at No. 4 – Pujara has got used to the English conditions in the first half of English summer when conditions are not conducive for batting and teams generally post low scores. Pujara's stint in Yorkshire will suit him for the better second half when the conditions will not be as severe.

Whether Rahul stays at No. 3 in England or Pujara returns to his original position remains to be seen. Also, the position of Ajinkya Rahane at No. 5 in England will be scrutinised, considering the form that he has been of late, going without a fifty in his last nine Test innings including a score of 10, trapped leg before by Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan in his most recent visit to the crease here.

Flexibility in the batting line-up has been one of the characteristics of this Indian team that has tasted majority of success at home in the last couple of years. But to move around a batsman from his specialist position at No. 3 up and down the order in Tests creates doubts on the batsman's mind. Especially when a trusted soldier like Pujara has scored 4,014 runs of his 4,531 career runs – amounting to 88.59 per cent – and on many an occasion taken the team to position of strength after the early fall of an opener.

It is not that Pujara has not batted at No. 4 before. Before scoring 35 in that position here, he has batted at No. 4 on three previous occasions, in Johannesburg (1 run) earlier this year, in Delhi against Sri Lanka (49 runs) last year and against South Africa in 2015 (28 runs).

The position of No. 3 specialist batsman should not be played around with. Just like you cannot push up and down the order the settled openers. Former India batsman GR Viswanath, who has batted a majority of his Test innings at No. 4, told DNA on Saturday that Pujara has to be at No. 3 and not moved around according to the team's convenience.

"It does make a difference batting at No. 3 and 4. It is always a set number given to the batsman," the 69-year-old stylish batsman of yesteryear said. "But the only thing is when Kohli walks in to bat at No. 4, what happens to Pujara? He has been doing the No. 3 role well and gets steady runs when an early wicket falls. Am not sure what he does at No. 5, a position entirely different from No. 3 and 4.
"Pujara is there to get you the runs. People say he takes time to score. Fair enough. It is a Test match and you need a person like that."

Viswanath, who played 91 Tests between 1969 and 1983, felt that Rahul should be pushed to No. 5 when Kohli returns and Pujara should go back to his No. 3 slot.
"With Rahul, they are not making certain his position, and hence does not get enough chances. Since he cannot open now as Shikhar and Vijay are doing very well and you cannot disturb them nor can you make one of them bat down the order, Rahane has to give way to Rahul," said Vishy, as he is known.

"Rahane has not been getting runs consistently. He can wait and should way to Rahul, who has been playing really well," said the Bangalorean.
But, there again, do you really drop a stand-in Test captain, Rahane, in England, where has scored a century at Lord's and two fifties in Southampton during India's last tour there in 2014?

Whatever the selection call Kohli and his head coach Ravi Shastri has to take, Pujara should be at No. 3. Moving him around or even keeping him out of the 11 will be highly unfair on this trusted batsman from whom even Kohli has learnt patience to building a Test innings.