Pujara fit to open, Gill/Rohit at No. 3: Surinder Amarnath (Interview)

By Khurram Habib Ahmedabad, March 3 : Surinder Amaranth, the oldest of the three Amaranth brothers and son of former India captain Lala Amarnath, feels cricket has changed considerably from his playing days.
The 72-year-old former dashing left-hander, who represented India in 10 Tests, is settled in Ahmedabad with his family, away from what he calls the “hustle-bustle” of Delhi, a team that he represented for the majority of his 22-year first-class career.
Amarnath, who scored a century on Test debut in Auckland in 1976, spoke to IANS on a variety of issues related to modern-day cricket.
Excerpts: Q: You batted No.3 for India. You were quite aggressive. Do you think that aggression is key for a No.3 batsman? A: Back in our days, most of the No.3 batsmen were attacking, especially in top teams like West Indies, Australia. Even No.4 would be attacking. In my opinion, a No.3 batsman can destroy a bowler and that is his job. I think the No.4 batsman should also attack. How can a batsman destroy bowling unless and until he attacks right from the start? In the early phase of a team’s innings, the field is open. There is hardly anybody outside. There are more slips and gully fieldsmen, you also have close fielders. You don’t have too many fielders in deep. So the batsman can find open spaces to play. You don’t have to hit the ball hard. Just get in line and push a bit and the ball will travel for four. During my time, the No.3 batsman used to attack from the beginning. Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Garry Sobers — they all played at No. 3 or No. 4 during their prime. They were all attacking players. Likewise, Chappell for Australia.