It was to have been a routine Tuesday morning at The Oval, India’s cricketers trooping in for an optional training session in preparation for the final Test beginning on Thursday. Most of the heroes of the Old Trafford escape-to-safety were understandably conspicuously absent. The only specialist batter who played in the fourth Test and who hit the nets two days out from the game was Sai Sudharsan, the left-hander who is also one of five batters India have used at the critical No. 3 position in their last nine Tests.

The ennui of a regular practice stint was rudely interrupted by a fracas involving Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and over-protective head of ground staff Lee Fortis – no one can emerge a winner from public finger-wagging – but that seemed to make no impression on Sudharsan, the 23-year-old from Chennai on his first Test tour.

Before Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul had briefly flirted with the one-down position during the five Tests in Australia. Between them, in nine innings, they had a highest of 31; India blooded Sudharsan in Leeds, dropped him after scores of 0 and 30 and replaced him with Karun Nair, playing his first series in eight years. After efforts of 31, 26, 40 and 14, Karun was dumped and Sudharsan brought back in Manchester. He responded with 61 in the first innings, India’s first half-century at No. 3 in 15 innings, but was dismissed first ball in the second, caught off Chris Woakes in the first over with India starting at a 31-run deficit. Clearly, the one-drop position has been a problem child for a while now, especially overseas.