Hussain: Gill, Root Hesitant to Bat at No. 3 as Pujara Era Ends

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has said that Indian star Shubman Gill and England's Joe Root prefer not to bat at No. 3 in Test cricket, highlighting how the position has lost its charm in modern cricket. His remarks came shortly after Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Sunday, August 24. Hussain believes that with Pujara's departure, another old-school batter has bid adieu to the game, and he praised the Indian veteran for his resilient presence in the middle order.

Hussain lauded Pujara for mastering the challenging No. 3 role, especially when he stepped in to replace a legend like Rahul Dravid. He emphasized that very few modern players are willing to take on the responsibility at that spot.

"A real old-school No. 3. And he had to take over from one of the all-time great No. 3s in Rahul Dravid. It's something that's a little bit lacking in international cricket-No. 3s. Even on the England side, Joe Root doesn't want to do it. Shubman Gill doesn't want to do it for India since he has the captaincy. He wants to bat at 4," Hussain said on the Sky Sports YouTube channel.

Talking about the importance of the No. 3 position, Hussain compared Pujara's approach to some of the greatest names in cricket. "In our era, your No. 3 was your best player, whether it be Viv Richards, Ricky Ponting, or Rahul Dravid. Not an easy position to do, but Pujara did it as well as anyone," he added.

Hussain also highlighted how Pujara's presence benefited India's middle order, particularly players like Virat Kohli. By spending long hours at the crease, Pujara ensured that India's stroke-makers did not have to face the new ball.

"Another one of the old-school batters is gone. A bat-for-your-life and over-my-dead-body sort of batter that played the ball late and produced some great innings, especially in Australia. He was loved by Indian fans for playing like that. And he protected the middle order, with the likes of Kohli in there, from the new ball. Working with him, he's exactly how he was when he batted-very calm, quietly spoken, and talks a lot of sense," Hussain said.

Pujara, regarded as one of India's finest red-ball players, amassed 7,195 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 43.60. Over the years, he became India's go-to man in challenging conditions and was last seen in Indian white threads during the World Test Championship Final in 2023 against Australia.

Australia had always been one of Pujara's favourite touring destinations, where he played a pivotal role in India's historic Test series wins in 2018-19 and 2020-21, frustrating opposition bowlers with his patient batting. With his retirement, India loses one of its most dependable Test specialists and a true old-school No. 3, as the team transitions under their new leader, Shubman Gill.