Batting options for #6 in tests?

[SecondSlip]

Dhruv Jurel (Pure bat) 
Sarfaraz Khan 
Shreyas Iyer
Tilak Varma
Rinku Singh

Is there any that I have missed? 
Who should bat at #6 for us in the long term? 
 

[Lord]

Pant 

[bowl_out]

8 minutes ago, Lord said:

Pant 

Then pick a No.5

[bowl_out]

Shreyas or Sarfaraz

[bowl_out]

Don't know why we need 6 bowling options. 

Jadeja + Washi + 3 pacers for SENA

Jadeja + Washi + Kuldeep + 2 pacers for sub-continent

 

Nair and Reddy should go. Sai and Shreyas/Sarfaraz should bat at 5, with Pant at 6

[cricspirit]

Shreyas wasn't even selected. He is a good number 5. That will push Pant to no.6 where he can play more freely.

[Lord]

53 minutes ago, bowl_out said:

Then pick a No.5

Perhaps Jadeja. After he retires Sundar. Really wasted at 8

[Lord]

52 minutes ago, bowl_out said:

Don't know why we need 6 bowling options. 

Jadeja + Washi + 3 pacers for SENA

Jadeja + Washi + Kuldeep + 2 pacers for sub-continent

 

Nair and Reddy should go. Sai and Shreyas/Sarfaraz should bat at 5, with Pant at 6

Reddy took 3 wickets this Test. Needs to be backed 

[bowl_out]

1 hour ago, Lord said:

Perhaps Jadeja. After he retires Sundar. Really wasted at 8

Then who's your number 8? Reddy?

[Lord]

12 minutes ago, bowl_out said:

Then who's your number 8? Reddy?

Harshit provided he improves his batting. Has a FC ton so got the raw ability. 

[vayuu1]

On 7/15/2025 at 3:29 AM, cricspirit said:

Shreyas wasn't even selected. He is a good number 5. That will push Pant to no.6 where he can play more freely.

Not in SENA,his eyes gets closed and feet are in the air when he deals with bounce bowlers are going to bowl short pitch to him and he will be toast,u need someone who can play short ball well 

Edited July 16, 2025 by vayuu1

[mani sha]

Ayer has to be in top 5 

can rotate strike 

can catch well 

and can hit fast bowlers.  

 

Imo he is as much a match winner as pant. I care a damn about Karun etc. 
 

the way we have won tests last 4 years has been - 

allrounders batting 

3 fast bowlers on song 

couple of magical attackers - pant / rohit  going all out on opposition . Ayer is in that category of match winners. 
 

my top 5 

 

jaiswal 

rahul 

gill 

ayer / suryavanshi 

pant 

sundar / jurel 

jadeja / reddy 

harshit / kuldeep 

bumrah 

siraj 

deep

 

sai as reserve opener 

 

 

 

[tweaker]

Sarfaraz should nat at no 5 and Pant at 6 .

[vvvslaxman]

Pant is n ot leaving 5. He has done fabulously well in this position. He is better than specialist. Good enough to play at 4. So they won't put him in a place where he comes  after India is 4 down. There might be scenarios where he can walk in at 20/3. He can turn the tables on opposition. But walking in at 20/4 is a differnt kettle of fish. 

[coffee_rules]

Jadeja is doing good for #6, It is #3 that we need to worry about - Jurel can come in and batr at #6 if we drop Nair and get Gill to come in at #3. 

[coffee_rules]

20 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

Pant is n ot leaving 5. He has done fabulously well in this position. He is better than specialist. Good enough to play at 4. So they won't put him in a place where he comes  after India is 4 down. There might be scenarios where he can walk in at 20/3. He can turn the tables on opposition. But walking in at 20/4 is a differnt kettle of fish. 

Yes, he is our great white hope

[New guy]

People are forgetting that Pant needs time to settle in tests and usually plays cautiously in the beginning. They are pretending he goes bang bang from ball 1 so should come at no 6. But most of pants best innings is when he took his time to get in. 

[Majestic]

57 minutes ago, New guy said:

People are forgetting that Pant needs time to settle in tests and usually plays cautiously in the beginning. They are pretending he goes bang bang from ball 1 so should come at no 6. But most of pants best innings is when he took his time to get in. 

You don’t have to hit from ball 1 in Test cricket at any position.

[Majestic]

For now:-

 

Pant 5

Jadeja 6

reddy 7

washi 8

 

jurel as backup option. Sai should be given run at 3 sooner than later.

 

In India, they can pick Shreyas Iyer at 6 and rest move one spot down.

[Majestic]

On 7/16/2025 at 12:42 PM, mani sha said:

Ayer has to be in top 5 

can rotate strike 

can catch well 

and can hit fast bowlers.  

 

Imo he is as much a match winner as pant. I care a damn about Karun etc. 
 

the way we have won tests last 4 years has been - 

allrounders batting 

3 fast bowlers on song 

couple of magical attackers - pant / rohit  going all out on opposition . Ayer is in that category of match winners. 
 

my top 5 

 

jaiswal 

rahul 

gill 

ayer / suryavanshi 

pant 

sundar / jurel 

jadeja / reddy 

harshit / kuldeep 

bumrah 

siraj 

deep

 

sai as reserve opener 

did you just picked suryavanshi?

 

Edited July 20, 2025 by Majestic