Ranking India’s 5 best No. 3 batters in Test history ft. Cheteshwar Pujara

There is no rocket science in saying that the No. 3 position in a team's batting order dictates their fortunes in Test cricket. Team India has been no different, with the side often producing some of its best results, especially away from home, when its No. 3 batsman dominates.

A one-drop batter must be adept at playing out the new ball with supreme technique and defiance while also exhibiting the ability to dominate once set. How the middle-order, popularly referred to as the engine room, performs in a Test side is often dependent on the consistency and reliability of the No. 3 batter.

Coming to the Indian Test side over the years, several legends have made the one-drop position their own, while a few others have sparkled at the position for a brief period.

As Team India seeks to find its next stalwart at No. 3 in Tests, it is only fair that we celebrate some of the best at the position in red-ball cricket from the country renowned for its batting riches.

On that note, let us rank India's all-time top five No. 3 batters in Test cricket (Qualification: Minimum 1,000 runs at the position).

Honorable Mention: Dilip Vengsarkar ( 2,763 runs, 40.04 average @ No. 3)

Ranking India’s 5 best No. 3 batters in Test history

#5 VVS Laxman

One of India's most underrated batters, VVS Laxman, occasionally batted at No. 3 for Team India in Tests. Renowned for his ability to deliver the goods at a time of crisis, the stylish right-hander scored 1,611 runs in 37 innings at the position, averaging 44.75 with four centuries and eight half-centuries.

While a few others may have scored more runs at the position, Laxman's ability and willingness to bat at one drop at the most important times gave him the nod on this list. Furthermore, arguably the greatest Test knock of all time came from the Hyderabad-born batter at No.3.

With India trailing 0-1 and following on in the home series against Australia in 2001, Laxman, in only his third innings at No. 3, tamed the dominant Aussie attack for a breathtaking 281 off 452 deliveries.

His knock helped India pull off an improbable win in the second Test at Kolkata, following which scores of 65 and 66 in the series decider at Chennai helped the side seal a 2-1 series win over the mighty Australians.

Overall, Laxman finished his illustrious Test career with 8,781 runs (fifth all-time by an Indian) and 17 centuries in 134 Test outings.

Test Numbers at No. 3: 1,611 runs, 44.75 average, 4 centuries, 8 half-centuries

#4 Vinod Kambli

There are very few Indian batters whose shortened career continues to baffle fans as Vinod Kambli's. Hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket, the left-hander was everything promised and more at the start of his Test career.

Starting at No.3, he scored 1,011 runs in 16 innings at the position, with an incredible average of 67.40 and four centuries. Yet, a sudden drop in form, caused by changes in his batting positions in the 1994/95 season, saw the left-hander permanently dropped from the Indian side.

Kambli qualifies as one of the several instances of 'What could have been' in Indian cricket. His overall Test numbers read an impressive 1,084 runs in 17 games at an average of 54.20.

Test Numbers at No. 3: 1,011 runs, 67.40 average, 4 centuries, 3 half-centuries

#3 Mohinder Amarnath

Another yesteryear great of Indian cricket, Mohinder Amarnath, comes in at No. 3 on this elite list of one-drop batters. A dominant presence in India's middle-order in the 1970s and 1980s, Amarnath was a force to be reckoned with in world cricket for almost two decades.

The right-hander batted across positions in the Indian batting order, with No. 3 being his calling card. Amarnath scored 2,907 runs at the position in Tests (3rd most by an Indian batter) at an average of 47.65, including eight centuries, in 66 innings.

The champion batter also boasted excellent overall Test numbers with 4,378 runs in 69 matches at an average of 42.50, including 11 centuries.

Test Numbers at No. 3: 2,907 runs, 47.65 average, 8 centuries, 18 half-centuries

#2 Cheteshwar Pujara

The ever-reliable Cheteshwar Pujara comfortably finishes with the silver medal as far as Indian No. 3 batters in Tests are concerned. The 37-year-old is India's second leading run-scorer in Tests at the position, with 6,529 runs at an average of 44.41 in 155 innings.

Beyond the numbers, Pujara's ability to win the endurance battle and tire opposition bowlers played a massive role in India's Test domination in the 2010s. His Player of the Series performance in the 2018/19 tour of Australia helped India win their first-ever Test series down under.

While his career is far from done despite dwindling hopes of a return, Pujara has overall Test numbers of 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60 in 103 outings.

Test Numbers at No. 3: 6,529 runs, 44.41 average, 18 centuries, 32 half-centuries

#1 Rahul Dravid

Even a half-Indian cricket fan would guess Rahul Dravid as the nation's greatest No. 3 Test batter. Famously known as 'The Wall' for his ability to relentlessly defend balls and hold the fort with an inimitable technique against all odds, Dravid is India's second-all-time leading run-getter in Tests.

An incredible 10,501 of his 13,265 runs came at the crucial No. 3 position, with 28 centuries in 217 innings. Dravid's emergence as arguably the best No. 3 in world cricket converged with India's resurgence as a force in Test cricket in the 2000s.

Series wins in Pakistan and the West Indies and draws in England and Australia in the 2000s were built from Dravid's truckload of runs at No. 3. The former right-hander offered a safety blanket to Indian fans that will likely never be mirrored.

Test Numbers at No. 3: 10,501 runs, 53.30 average, 28 centuries, 50 half-centuries

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran