Cheteshwar Pujara asked the Indian team’s management to be more patient with Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair when they bat at number three. Their performance in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was subpar.
Before being benched for the following two Test matches, Sudharsan participated in the first one. Eventually, he returned to the starting lineup for the final two Test matches. He amassed 140 runs at an average of 23.33 in three Test matches. Karun Nair, meanwhile, participated in all except the fourth Test match. The 33-year-old averaged 25.63 while scoring 205 runs. He was only able to score 111 runs at an average of 27.75 from four innings while occupying the No. 3 position.
Pujara thinks they would gain knowledge from their experience playing against a strong opponent in England. Nair and Sudharsan have shown flashes of promise and the ability to perform well in the next matches, according to the former India batter.
“Look, it takes some time for young guys to develop. Sai Sudharsan has performed once and has demonstrated promise. Karun Nair has performed as well. Their game will therefore continue to improve progressively as they acquire experience. Because they are inexperienced players, you can’t expect every player to consistently score two or three hundreds. The fact that the Indian squad managed to draw the series 2-2 indicates that every player contributed, thus this is a positive phase for them.
Therefore, this team would undoubtedly play well going forward,” Pujara told India Today.
In addition, Pujara expressed his confidence in head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill’s ability to lead the Indian Test squad to unprecedented success. Indian cricket’s future is in capable hands, according to the Saurashtra player.
“The group has won numerous sessions. Therefore, if we just discuss this series, I think it’s a win even though it finished in a draw. The Indian team has won this match. With the way all of the young guys are playing, Indian cricket is in good hands,” he continued.
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