As soon as Virat Kohli retired from Tests, the biggest question that arises is, who will fill his No. 4 spot? Shreyas Iyer comes to mind, as the instant answer, but then Cheteshwar Pujara has said, that it will take a couple of series, to find the best answer. “We will need a couple of series to figure out who is well suited to bat at No. 4, because it’s an important position,” Pujara told ESPNcricinfo. “You need your best batter to bat at No. 4. And at this time, I think it’s still a spot where the team management will have to figure out who is the most suited player at No. 4.”
Shreyas Iyer No Clear Replacement for Virat Kohli?
This is something, that the Indian team hasn’t faced in a while. For the longest time, Sachin Tendulkar held that spot, and thereafter Virat Kohli made that his own, for 10-12 years. That throws in a few options for now — KL Rahul, Iyer, Rajat Patidar and even Devdutt Padikkal. “There are a lot of players who are making their way into the playing XI, no one has a secured spot at this stage. It’s a process which will take some time.”
“It’s still early days to make a call, but it will be important to see who performs well in England because someone who can perform well in England can have that No. 4 spot,” Pujara said. Another option is that of Shubman Gill, the player touted as the next skipper.
What Are the Options for India?
“He [Gill] is an option, definitely. But he has been batting at No. 3,” he said. “Does he want to shift his spot? Does he want to bat at No. 4? We’ll have to see. Shubman is someone who is more capable of playing the new balls. He has been opening the innings earlier, before he started batting at No. 3. He prefers to bat when the ball is slightly hard and new. Will he be able to manage with the old ball? That is a big question at this stage.”
“Since he has batted well with the new ball, I would still say that he should be batting in [the] top three, which is his ideal position, which suits him well. If he bats at No. 4 in England and if he can be successful at that position, then, yes, he can be a No. 4 for the Indian team.”
