The Indian team may have not won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title but they have been consistent at home and in overseas conditions in the last few years. The Rohit Sharma-led side is also expected to make the WTC 2021-23 final despite the nine-wicket loss to Australia at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on March 3. While the pace bowling has gone from strength to strength and spinners have made opposition surrender in home conditions, the batting has been under the scanner as big games have been inconsistent.
Here is a look at team India batter’s record in the past three years --
KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been given the longest rope by the Indian team management in 21st century. Rahul has showed flashes of brilliances and a string of low scores which have put his place in the side in jeopardy. Rahul got stripped of vice-captaincy after failing to cross the 25-run mark in last 10 innings. Rahul has scored 636 runs from 11 Tests including two centuries and as many fifties at an average of 30.28.
Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has had a decent run during this period. He has scored 1,203 runs from 16 Tests including three centuries and four half-centuries at an average of 44.55. His absence due to injuries has hurt India. He was unlucky to miss out on Edgbaston Test after contracting Covid-19 as India missed his services. However, the current situation demands more big scores from the skipper.
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill has been the backup opener who has performed in patches in the longest format. Gill’s half-century in the Gabba win can be considered his best knock of Test career so far. While there were calls to replace out-of-form Rahul with in-form Gill, he has not lived up to his potential yet. He scored 762 runs from 14 Tests including one century and four half-centuries at an average of 30.48.
Cheteshwar Pujara
India’s no.3 batter Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 1,272 runs from 24 Tests including one century and 10 half-centuries at an average of 30.28. Pujara lost his place in the side but made a comeback on the back of outstanding performances in County cricket last year. While Pujara has failed to score big in first innings, he has an average of over 50 in the second innings. The experienced campaigner also seems to be struggling to let go off his defensive mindset and attack more.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli’s extended poor run is a major concern. While he has not been able to score a Test ton since November 2019, he has not been able to play impactful knocks. The 34-year-old has been wobbly against spinners. In home conditions, he has failed to use the advantage. His last half-century on Indian soil came in 2021 against England. He has scored 990 runs from 21 Tests including six half-centuries at an average of 27.50.
Rishabh Pant
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been the X-factor for India in Test cricket in the last few years. From guiding India to famous Gabba Test win to bullying England bowlers in home conditions, Pant has established himself as an integral part of the team. The southpaw with his unique style of play has scored 1,457 runs from 20 Tests including three centuries and nine half-centuries. Pant’s horrific car accident on December 30, 2022 morning followed by multiple surgeries has led to him getting ruled out of action for at least a year. In his absence, Srikar Bharat has failed with the bat in the ongoing Test series.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is relatively new to the list having made his Test debut in November 2021. Iyer has missed a few Tests due to injury. In his short nine-Test career so far, he has scored 666 runs at an average of 44.40 including one century and five half-centuries. While his weakness against short deliveries was exposed in the Edgbaston Test, he has been considered as the best player against spin in the team.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has made giant strides as a batter in the past few years. The all-rounder has worked on his technique and has played a few match-winning knocks in addition to haunting the batters in home conditions. With consistent performances, Jadeja has earned a promotion in the order. The southpaw has scored 761 runs from 14 Tests including two centuries and four half-centuries.
Ravichandran Ashwin
India's spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has proved his worth with the bat down the order with crucial knocks. Ashwin has scored 733 runs from 20 Tests at an average of 24.43 including one century and two half-centuries. Ashwin showed that he can bat under pressure when he scored 106 against England in second innings to help the hosts set a daunting target.
Axar Patel
Axar Patel’s batting position may not justify the kind of knocks he has played so far. Patel has stepped up at times with the bat in addition to performing with the ball. Patel recently played his career-best 84-run knock to help India recover from collapse and frustrate Australian bowlers. The southpaw has scored 434 runs from 11 Tests including three half-centuries at an average of 33.38.
Note: The statistics mentioned above are from March 1, 2020 to March 3, 2023
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