Shubman Gill and Joe Root, two active batting mainstays, don’t want to bat at No. 3 in Test cricket, Hussain added.
On Sunday, August 24, Cheteshwar Pujara declared his retirement from all cricket-related activities. He ended up becoming one of the greatest red-ball hitters in Indian history. Pujara solidified his position at No. 3 in India’s Test lineup over his remarkable career. After batting in 155 innings at an average of 44.41, the Saurashtra batsman scored 6529 runs at number three.
Nasser Hussain, the former captain of England, commended Pujara for establishing himself as a No. 3 batsman, particularly after taking Rahul Dravid’s place.
“A true vintage No. 3. Additionally, he had to replace Rahul Dravid, one of the greatest No. 3s of all time. No. 3s are something that is somewhat lacking in international cricket. Joe Root is unwilling to do anything, even for the England team.
Since he is the captain, Shubman Gill is unwilling to play for India. Hussain stated on the Sky Sports YouTube channel, “He wants to bat at four.”
“Whether it was Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, or Viv Richards, your No. 3 player was your finest player in our time. It’s not an easy job, but Pujara performed it better than anyone else,” he continued.
He kept the middle order safe: Hussain
By playing out the new ball, Pujara greatly aided the middle-order hitters, according to the former cricket player who is now a commentator. Hussain also spoke of Pujara’s outstanding batting exploits in Australia, which helped India win Test series in 2018–19 and 2020–21.
“An additional old-school batter has left. Particularly in Australia, he was a bat for your life and over my dead body type of batter who played the ball late and had some fantastic innings. Indian fans adored him for his style of play. Additionally, he shielded the middle order—which included players like Kohli—from the new ball. He is precisely the same person he was when he batted when I worked with him. quite composed, quite quiet, and very sensible,” Hussain remarked.