ENG vs IND 2025: ‘As they gain experience, their game will keep improving’ – Pujara wants management to persist with Sudharsan, Nair at No. 3

Sai Sudharsan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Karun Nair. (Photo source: X)

Cheteshwar Pujara urged the Indian team management to show more patience with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan when it comes to batting at No. 3. They didn’t perform too well in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.

Sudharsan played the first Test match before being dropped for the next two. He was eventually brought back into the playing XI for the last two Test matches. In three Tests, he scored 140 runs at an average of 23.33. Meanwhile, Karun Nair played every Test apart from the fourth one. The 33-year-old managed 205 runs at an average of 25.63. However, at the No. 3 slot, he could only manage 111 runs from four innings at an average of 27.75.

Pujara believes that they will learn from their experience of playing in England against a formidable opposition. The former India batter said that Nair and Sudharsan have shown signs of promise and potential to do well in the matches to come.

“Look, young players need a little time to mature. Sai Sudharsan has shown potential — he has performed once. Karun Nair has also performed. So gradually, as they gain experience, their game will keep improving. You can’t expect every player to score two or three hundreds every time, especially since they are young players, so they need time. And this is a good phase the Indian team is going through — because it was a tough series, and managing to draw it 2-2 shows that every player contributed. So moving forward, this team will definitely perform well,” Pujara told India Today.

Furthermore, Pujara also lavished praise on captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, showing faith in them to take the Indian Test team to great heights. The Saurashtra cricketer said that the future of Indian cricket is in good hands.

“The team has won a lot of sessions. So if we talk only about this series, yes, it ended in a draw — but in my opinion, it’s nothing less than a win. This is a victory for the Indian team. Indian cricket is in the right hands and the way all the young players are performing, it’s very promising,” he added.

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