The left-handed batter has scored 273 runs across five Tests so far.
Five appearances in the last seven Test matches for India – Sai Sudharsan is quickly turning into India’s preferred No.3 batter in the longest format. Though the youngster has started off slowly at the highest stage, he seems to be getting all the backing from the management, which indicates that he would be given a long rope.
The 24-year-old spoke about his initial days in Indian cricket and also mentioned how head coach Gautam Gambhir backed him constantly, due to which he was able to focus on the game and leave all the noise outside.
His start to the Test career was quite jittery, as he was dismissed in the similar manner by English skipper Ben Stokes in the first Test in Leeds. However, the youngster improved with time and showed his mettle with a few composed knocks. Though he was not able to convert it into big totals in England, he scored a well-structured 87 in the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi.
Having said that, Sai Sudharsan has been named the vice-captain for the first unofficial Test against South Africa A, which will be a good challenge for the batter from Tamil Nadu. After the two Tests against the West Indies, he would want to up the ante for the next series against the Proteas.
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A youngster being included in the Indian team at the highest level is like water – it shall take the shape of whatever ne puts it into. Except, the thing being discussed here is the mindset. And as per Sai Sudharsan, head coach Gautam Gambhir has played a huge role in whatever little success the youngster has had till date at the highest level.
Sai Sudharsan spoke about how Gambhir backed him despite his poor run of form in the early days. He recollected an incident after the first Test in Ahmedabad against the West Indies. The youngster from Tamil Nadu draws a lot of motivation from the fact that the team management backs him to the hilt, and a big score might just be around the corner.
“GG [Gambhir] sir called me and said, ‘You are not getting desperate. You are one of the best players in the country. So do not think about any of the other things. Don’t think that you have to score runs in this game or what will happen if you don’t. He told me, you will play”, said Sudharsan.
It often happens that a player who is new to the international stage would make extra attempts to be successful at what he is supposed to do for the team. However, Gambhir’s words helped the Gujarat Titans (GT) batter play with a calm approach. To add to that, skipper Shubman Gill has also been in the fray as far as Sudharsan’s selection is concerned.
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