The new India No.3, Sai Sudharsan, would have hoped for a good start to the home season when he came in to bat in the first Test against West Indies. But things didn’t quite go his way in the first innings in Ahmedabad.
Indian bowlers made light work of the visitors, skittling them out for just 162. Mohammed Siraj produced an outstanding performance, picking up 4 for 40 while Jasprit Bumrah bagged 3 for 42. The opening pair then put on a 68-run partnership before Yashasvi Jaiswal fell. Sudharsan had the opportunity to capitalise on it but had a short stay at the crease.
Sai Sudharsan came into this West Indies series on the back of good form. However, playing his fourth Test, he fell for just seven runs in the first innings of the Ahmedabad Test. It was a pretty poor stay for him as he looked tentative against both pace and spin.
The left-hand batter struggled to find the right tempo before eventually falling to the off-spinner Roston Chase. He failed to gauge the length and tried to pull a relatively fuller delivery, completely missing it and getting trapped in front plumb.
Sudharsan made his debut in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where he was dismissed for a duck and 30. Not convinced enough, he was left out of the second Test for Karun Nair. He returned to the playing XI in the final two games of the series but could manage only one fifty-plus score.
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The 23-year-old batter has been a prolific run-scorer for India A whenever he has faced the opponents. Recently, he made 73 in the first unofficial Test against Australia A in the match where Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel registered big centuries.
In the second game, Sudharsan scored 75 in the first innings, with the team getting bowled out for just 194. He followed that up with a fine century in the second innings.
Piling on runs for India A has not been an issue for him, but he needs to start delivering at the highest level. There have been question marks over his pedigree as a Test batter. Averaging a touch over 40, many believe he doesn’t deserve to be on the Indian side.
India are scheduled to play two more Tests at home after this series, hosting South Africa in November. With Karun out of the picture and no other immediate threat, Sudharsan is likely to get a long rope to cement his spot.
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