It would be tough to accommodate Badrinath when players such as C. Pujara and S. Raina are waiting on the wings. Batting slots number 5 and 6 lie vacant at present. Out of these 3 players, only two would start the match. These are not good signs for India, as none of these players have experience on their side. Lalchand says, “Pujara and Raina are strong contenders.”

But, if we look at the positive side of things, the competition between the three would only benefit the Indian team, as these players would be hell bent to perform while donning the Indian Test cap, which is a dream for any cricketer. Pujara has been one of the most consistent players in the domestic circuit, hence he should straight away walk into the Indian Test team. Many experts also claim that the player has all the qualities to be a successful Test cricketer. In due course of time, he could be an ideal no 3 batsmen for India with his technique, which runs parallel to Rahul Dravid.

So, the fight seems to be between the two Chennai Super Kings team mates, Badrinath and Raina. Badrinath has just played 2 Test matches and scored 178 runs for India compared to Raina's 15 matches where has amassed 1328 runs with a century against his name. The Indian team is in serious need of an experienced batsmen at the international level, so this might give him Raina an edge over Badrinath. Has has also played more than 140 ODIs than Badrinath. ““It is is up to the team management to decide,” says the former Indian coach.