For pretty much all of the last 25 years, the identity of India’s first-choice No.3 in Test cricket has been safe and secure.

First Rahul Dravid had the position looked down, with Cheteshwar Pujara taking on the ‘Wall’ mantle seamlessly after the retirement of the man who has faced more deliveries in Test cricket than any other. In that time, VVS Laxman, with 37 innings at first drop, is the only other batter to come in at No.3 more than 10 times. Pujara and Dravid have done so more than 350 times between them.

Now, one of Dravid’s first significant acts as India head coach is to remove his successor, with Pujara, along with long-term No.5 Ajinkya Rahane, dropped for the Test series against Sri Lanka, paying the price for a shock defeat in South Africa. It means that, for the first time in two generations, there is no easy answer to the question: Who is India’s Test No.3?

The openers who could shift down

Shubman Gill

Test record – 558 runs @ 32.82, HS 91, 4 fifties

Shubman Gill, the batting sensation from Punjab, was slated to move down the order during the New Zealand series but did so only once, during the second innings of the Mumbai Test, scoring a solid 47 on the occasion. He has displayed the requisite technique to do well against the new ball across the conditions and could be a good No.3 in the future.

Mayank Agarwal

Test record – 1,429 runs @ 43.3, HS 243, 4 hundreds, 6 fifties

Mayank Agarwal has found success as an opener but might find it tough to make it into the playing XI in that role if both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are around. He is one of the options who can be given a go at three. Such an arrangement can see Gill dropping in at five, thus allowing India to field a very strong top and middle-order.

The middle-order options who could bump up

Shreyas Iyer

Test record – 202 runs @ 50.5, HS 105, 1 hundred, 1 fifty

The only thing going against Shreyas Iyer is his lack of experience in the format. For the 27-year-old shone brightly on debut, and has shown himself to be a run-scoring beast in domestic cricket. Recently former India opener Gautam Gambhir backed him for the number three role.

Hanuma Vihari

Test record – 684 runs @ 34.2, HS 111, 1 hundred, 4 fifties

Talk about run-scoring beasts in Indian first-class cricket, and Hanuma Vihari’s name pops up immediately. The 28-year-old averages nearly 56 in domestic cricket and has become a regular face in the India squad over the last couple of years.

Despite having played a good hand in his last Test against South Africa and being a part of the epic fightback in the legendary Sydney Test of 2020, Vihari has still not become a regular member of the India team. He arguably deserves a good run with the side, and that could come at the vacant number three position.

Virat Kohli

Test record – 7,932 runs @ 50.39, HS 254*, 27 hundreds, 28 fifties

Virat Kohli is the best batter India has had since Sachin Tendulkar, and as the senior batter there’s an argument that he should be the one to shoulder the responsibility of shifting up a position in the order. However, given how prolific Kohli has been at No.4, India will be wary of weakening a strength, while his recent relative poor form means that now might not be the best time to move him up.He will also turn 34 this year, meaning he can hardly be considered a long-term option.

The Domestic stars

Priyank Panchal

FC record – 7,068 runs @ 45.3, HS 314*, 24 hundreds, 26 fifties

Priyank Panchal usually plays as an opener, but will almost certainly not make it into India’s playing XI in that role, given their riches in the department. A secure batter for Gujarat for over a decade, he can be looked at at number three.

Sarfaraz Khan

FC record – 1,823 runs @ 75.95, HS 301*, 5 hundreds, 5 fifties

Sarfaraz Khan is in the middle of a dream run in first-class cricket. He scored 275 runs in his last match versus Saurashtra, and 71* and 14 against South Africa A in December. To add to this are his mind-boggling figures of 928 runs at an average of 154.66 for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy 2019/20. He has all the shots in the book, and his positive approach can serve the side well at number three.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

FC record – 4,689 runs @ 43.41, HS 233, 14 hundreds, 20 fifties

Abhimanyu Easwaran was in India’s plans not too long ago, earning a place in the touring party to face England. Like Panchal, Easwaran too will find it tough to make it into the playing XI as an opener but has a greater chance of getting a run at number three.

The T20 wildcard

Suryakumar Yadav

FC record – 5,326 runs @ 44.01, HS 200, 14 hundreds, 26 fifties

Suryakumar was called up tot he India Test squad during the England tour, and while his numbers didn’t stand out compared to his peers, it’s easy to see why the team management could look to the Mumbai player. His fearless approach and reputation as a stroke-maker are known to one and all. If the team management does feel the need to take the punt in the form of an aggressive player at number three, there can be few better players than him.