New Delhi: Former batsman Robin Uthappa believes India will need someone like Lokesh Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran who can play traditional style cricket during the challenging tour of Australia and there is a place for experienced Cheteshwar Pujara in the Test team. The Indian batting order full of shot-players has come under question ahead of the five-match Test series. The pressure on India to perform better has increased after the humiliating 0-3 defeat at home against New Zealand.

Team India needs a defensive player

Speaking to the media online, Uthappa, an expert of 'Jio Cinema' and 'Sports 18', said, 'We need a defensive player. Someone who can play traditional Test cricket. Right now Lokesh Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran are the only players who can play this role. I don't see any other player who can take this responsibility. Everyone likes to play positively, aggressively and score runs at a fast pace, including players like Shubman Gill. He is a natural stroke player and if you ask him to play slow, he may not like it.'

Pujara played an important role in the last two series wins

Pujara played a key role in India's historic victories in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21, but this time the experienced Saurashtra player is not a part of the Indian team. Uthappa said, "Lokesh Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran can play the role of anchor (player who stays at one end) while everyone else revolves around them. Honestly, I still think there is a place for a player like Pujara in the Test team.

Samson will strengthen his position on South Africa tour

Uthappa also spoke on India's four-match T20 series against South Africa and said that this match will help Sanju Samson to strengthen his position in the team after his impressive performance against Bangladesh. He said, 'He has the confidence of the coaching staff and the leadership group which was lacking in his international career in the past. There was also a lack of clarity about where he would fit in.'

Uthappa said, 'But with Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav the story has become clear for them. There is a lot of clarity about their role. They have defined the role very clearly for them. The pressure will be a little less in this series.'

Ramandeep and Yash Dayal should get a chance to debut

Uthappa advocated giving debut to Ramandeep Singh and Yash Dayal. He said, 'When the confidence is very high then you want to give players a chance. Ramandeep is one of the most exciting players in recent times. He is a great all-rounder and his role as a finisher has been fantastic in the IPL. He has fielded incredibly well and is scoring runs at a strike rate of 200. He is full of confidence at the moment. If he bowls well then you will get two all-rounders like Hardik Pandya who is like gold for Indian cricket at the moment.'

Yash Dayal's comeback has been full of passion

About Yash Dayal, he said, 'His story has been full of passion the way he bounced back after Rinku Singh's over. He has shown a lot of passion and handled the pressure of bowling in Bengaluru well and deserved to be retained. If he gets a chance, he will perform well.'