Pujara Picks India’s Test XI for New Zealand: Backs Padikkal at No. 3
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With the Indian cricket team gearing up for a multi-format tour of New Zealand culminating in a marquee two-match Test series starting November 19, 2026, tactical debates around team composition have gathered major steam. Veteran Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara—long regarded as the defensive backbone of India’s traditional red-ball setup—has unveiled his preferred India playing XI for the challenging tour of Kiwi tracks. Taking into account sub-zero seam movement and grassy drop-in wickets across New Zealand conditions, Pujara has backed left-hander Devdutt Padikkal for the critical number-three slot over Sai Sudharsan, while making a bold structural call to accommodate three wicketkeeper-batters into the same eleven and omitting frontline wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in favour of a seam-heavy four-man pace attack.
Solved the Number Three Riddle? Pujara Backs In-Form Devdutt Padikkal
Having occupied the prestigious one-down batting fortress across a decorated 103-Test career, Pujara shared deep tactical rationale behind his top-order selections:
Backing In-Form Padikkal: Pujara bypassed young prodigy Sai Sudharsan to place Devdutt Padikkal at number three, pointing to the southpaw’s sensational twin centuries during the previous Test series against Sri Lanka as proof of his temperament.
Long-Term Successor to the Anchor Role: India’s red-ball lineup has searched for consistency at one-down since Pujara’s tenure, and the veteran observed that Padikkal’s upright balance, front-foot stride, and compact defensive game make him the natural heir to handle early swing in New Zealand.
Settled Opening Duet: Pujara kept faith in the established right-left combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to face the new red ball against the Black Caps' pace attack.
Captain Anchors at Number Four: Regular skipper Shubman Gill takes his customary spot at number four, where he has displayed remarkable consistency, compiling six centuries across just 17 innings in the pivotal middle-order slot.
Three Keepers in One Eleven: Rahul, Pant & Dhruv Jurel All Make the Cut
The most intriguing tactical feature of Pujara’s selected lineup is the simultaneous inclusion of all three designated glovemen in the touring party:
Trio Packed with Pure Batting Depth: Rather than benching specialist glovemen, Pujara named KL Rahul at the top, followed by dynamic match-winner Rishabh Pant at number five and in-form youngster Dhruv Jurel at number six.
Middle-Order Counter-Punch: Rishabh Pant’s fearless strokeplay paired with Dhruv Jurel’s solid backfoot technique provides the Indian middle-order with deep resilience against late-innings second new-ball bursts.
Wicketkeeping Allocation: While KL Rahul operates as a frontline specialist opening batter, the primary wicketkeeping gloves behind the stumps remain with regular red-ball keeper Rishabh Pant.
4-Pace Battery Strategy in Kiwi Conditions: Kuldeep Yadav Left Out
Anticipating bounce and lateral seam movement across New Zealand's verdant decks, Pujara designed a four-pronged fast-bowling unit:
Nitish Kumar Reddy as Pace-Bowling All-Rounder: Young dynamic cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy was picked at number eight, functioning as the vital fourth seam-bowling option to share workloads while adding lower-order power hitting.
Sole Specialist Spinner: Experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja takes the lone spinner’s slot at number seven, edging out wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav due to overseas batting utility and control.
Pace Spearheads: The primary pace bowling duties have been entrusted to world-class spearhead Jasprit Bumrah alongside Mohammed Siraj and the tall hit-the-deck pacer Prasidh Krishna to exploit the steep carry of Kiwi wickets.
Complete Playing XI Named by Pujara: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah.
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