Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg has suggested an alternative option for the no.3 position should India eventually decide to turn to someone else.
Brad Hogg Names Pujara’s Replacement player
Before suggesting his choice to replace Pujara at no.3, the former left-arm spinner pointed out where Pujara went wrong in the first match in Nottingham. The Saurashtra batsman scored four in the first innings and remained not out on 12 in the second before rain abandoned play.
“I felt Cheteshwar Pujara on this particular wicket wasn’t moving his feet and wasn’t getting to the pitch of it,” said Hogg.
“And, with the ball moving like it is, if he not going to get far forward, he is going to be a sitting duck in a sense, where they (bowlers) are going to find that outside edge of Pujara’s bat quite a lot.”
Hogg then proceeded to name the alternative to Pujara.
“After KL Rahul’s performance in Nottingham, and if India are worried about Pujara… they wanted to open with Mayank Agarwal in the first Test. But because he had a bit of concussion, they didn’t allow him to play in that particular fixture.”
“I would have thought that Rahul opening the batting and Suryakumar Yadav coming in at No. 3 can be an option, just to add a little bit of variety. Suryakumar Yadav plays with a little bit of flair. He has a lot of differences in the way that he goes about the game. Just that point of difference may be able to put the opposition bowlers off their line and length.”
Hogg further commented that Indian middle-order batsman Yadav could take on the less experienced English bowlers like Ollie Robinson and Sam Curran
“Anderson and Broad have got a lot of experience. But for someone like Robinson or Sam Curran, who don’t have that experience at the Test level, Suryakumar Yadav could put those two off their game and allow a little bit more ease in that middle order as well. He could be a good option coming in at No. 3 if Pujara doesn’t deliver what he does on Indian soil and around the globe as well,” Hogg explained.
The second of five Tests begins on August 12 at Lord’s.
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