![Confused Sai Sudharsan Nearly Runs Out KL Rahul In IND vs WI 1st Test in Ahmedabad [WATCH]](https://cdn.cricxtasy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sai-Sudharsan-Almost-Runs-Out-KL-Rahul.png)
India ended Day 1 at 121/2, with Shubman Gill and KL Rahul at the crease.
Test matches cannot be won in a single session. But they surely can be lost in one! This is why it is extremely important for batters to put a price tag on their wicket. India’s recent No.3 batter, Sai Sudharsan has not been having the best of times, and quickly needs a turnaround in fortunes. On the first day of the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, Sudharsan was dismissed for a mere seven.
Having said that, the highlight of his innings somehow became a moment in one of the overs bowled by Khary Pierre. The young Gujarat Titans (GT) batter was almost on the verge of running opener KL Rahul out after a confusion in the middle. However, the experienced opener got back to his crease in time to survive. Rahul got to his fifty later, and walked out unbeaten on Day 1.
Pierre bowled a delivery to Sudharsan, pitching on middle stump at good length. The left-handed batter successfully diverted the ball off his pads towards the square-leg region. Post that, he took a couple of steps ahead, and Rahul took it as a signal for a run. But Sudharsan kept watching the ball, and did not pay attention to Rahul, who was almost midway on the pitch. As a result, the Delhi Capitals (DC) batter had to run back to save his wicket.
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After the flurry of retirements from the Indian side, there were always going to be vacant positions. After Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also hung their boots from the longest format. Moreover, Cheteshwar Pujara, who hadn’t played in whites for a long time stepped away from international cricket. And this is what left the No.3 spot vacant.
The 23-year-old was then drafted into the Test side for the all-important Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He played in three Tests in the five-match series, and could not impress much with his blade work. He scored 68 and 31 in the only two innings in which he got going, but couldn’t convert his starts into a big score. Having said that, Sudharsan is just four Tests old into the side, and needs to be given some time to settle.
He must also keep in mind, that there is not much competition for his position at the moment. However, things might not be the same in the near future. Players like Rajat Patidar and Abhimanyu Easwaran are making a name for themselves in the domestic circuit. If Sudharsan continues his string of low scores, the management will have to look away at some point of time.
In the first innings on Day 1, his choice of shot selection leading to his dismissal was pretty poor. He went on to pull a ball off a spinner, which was not exactly short. Sudharsan could have easily played with a straighter bat, but chose to go for the release shot, losing his wicket in the bargain.
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