Look what Viv Richards did!

After suffering a lull while being shunned by star batsmen Steve Smith and Joe Root the crucial No 3 position might be about to experience a youthled resurgenceAustralias Marnus Labuschagne has been on a rocketlaunch trajectory since he permanently took over the position in 2019 And following a stylish doublecentury against Pakistan Englands Zak Crawley appears to have found his niche at first dropThis talented pair is capable of returning a lustre to the number three position No longer is this critical spot in the batting order reliant on consistent veterans like Indias Cheteshwar Pujara and New Zealands Kane Williamson to uphold its importanceHowever theres a dramatic difference in the style of the youngsters compared with the tried and tested duo Theres a youthful urgency about both Labuschagne and Crawley that contrasts with the cool calculating style of Pujara and WilliamsonThe experienced players have seen it all before and understand what can go wrong Both Pujara and Williamson rely on steady accumulation early gradually wearing down the bowlers until theyre ready for plucking Occupying the crease and adding substantially to the total are their two main objectivesIn sharp contrast the younger duo like to make their mark early establishing superiority with energetic running and audacious shotmaking Their motto appears to be Lets win this game quicklyThe two pairs epitomise the distinctly different choice available when searching for a successful number threeThe ideal player is one who can take charge of an opposing attack despite the loss of an early wicket but also has the technique to withstand a sustained testing bowling spell If that type is not available then the next best option is a player who can steadily accumulate runs early in his innings and begin to expand his stroke range as the bowlers tireTheres no better example of the second type than Pujaras gradual but comprehensive wearing down of the Australian attack in 201819 The obdurate righthander ground the Australian bowlers into submission and then a polished Indian attack finished the taskSince then the youngsters have made their mark Where Labuschagne eagerly volunteered to bat at three Crawley has been shuttled through the order filling holes in the England lineup as they appeared A number of his early innings were as a replacement opener for the injured Rory Burns in South AfricaWith Burnss struggles escalating against Pakistan England will be tempted to install Crawley in the opening slot Id caution against that move by citing the example of a young Viv RichardsDespairing of Richardss nervous midorder struggles in 197576 the West Indies opted to use him as an opener in Adelaide As Richards proceeded to flay an extremely strong Australian pace attack in scoring a brilliant 101 I mentioned to Rod Marsh When the West Indies realise it theyll have one of the best No 3s going roundThe Windies cottoned on quickly In his next series Richardss 556 runs against India included three centuries He exceeded that outstanding output in the following series aggregating 829 in just four Tests against England with two doubles and a single century All 1385 of those runs were amassed at number threeRichards went on to become the preeminent batsman of his era and the flag bearer for aggressive counterattacking No 3sThats not to suggest Crawley can replicate Richards career It would be unwise to burden him with emulating a man about whom Imran Khan mdash someone who has valiantly faced the various threats that come with being Prime Minister of Pakistan mdash confessed The only batsman who intimidated me was Viv RichardsNevertheless Crawley is ideally suited to fill Englands needs at No 3 with his natural attacking instinctsEngland are yet to solve their opening puzzle but Crawley Root and Ben Stokes comprise a potentially strong and dangerous middleorder An upcoming Ashes series featuring a LabuschagneCrawley duel at three promises a more glamorous future one befitting the positions importanceClayton Murzellos column Pavilion End will be back next weekThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news