‘Cheteshwar Pujara's contribution was immense’ - Parthiv Patel reflects on importance of number 3 batter in BGT

Team India is all set to take on an arduous assignment. After their three-game Test series against New Zealand, the side will travel to Australia for the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar series. The marquee series will begin on November 22 as both India and Australia lock horns in Perth. 

Ahead of the series, there have been many discussions as to what India's lineup would be against Australia, and former India cricketer Parthiv Patel recently came forward and highlighted the importance of the number three batter in the side. 

Patel opined that star India batter Shubman Gill could be a crucial part of India’s squad in the BGT 2024-25. He pointed out the performances of Cheteshwar Pujara over the years and how big of a role he has played in the series. 

"Whenever India have done well in Australia, the No. 3 batter's performance has been very important, the way Rahul Dravid was batting in 2003-04 and Cheteshwar Pujara's contribution was immense in the last two series India won there. So No. 3 becomes a very important position," Patel told Colors Cineplex.

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"Shubman Gill has shown that he has the capability to score runs in Australia, although all those runs came as an opener. The Gabba Test we won, every time Rishabh Pant's 89 runs are talked about but Shubman Gill also scored 92 (91) runs as an opener. So he knows that he can bat under pressure," he added.

He knows that he is going as a senior player: Parthiv Patel

Furthermore, Patel talked about how Gill will acknowledge that he will go into the upcoming series against Australia as a senior player, and that will be backed by the expectations that will be put upon him. 

"The way his approach has been recently and the way he has been talking, he knows that he is going as a senior player. This is your second tour. So the expectation will increase even further. No. 3 and No. 4 are the backbone. So when Shubman Gill bats at No. 3, the expectation from him will be to score big runs," he said.