Sai Sudharsan managed scores of 0 & 30 respectively in the first Test in Leeds.
India went down to England in the first Test at Headingley. They became the first team to lose a Test after scoring five centuries in the game. The Three Lions came out untamed as they handsomely chased a hefty target of 371 on the last day of the Test, to go 1-0 up in the series. Unfortunately for India, this loss is not the only thing to worry about. Debutant Sai Sudharsan is under an injury cloud and was reportedly struggling with his shoulder on the last day of the first Test.
Reports suggest that India’s new No.3 is not completely fit for the next assignment at Edgbaston, which starts on July 2. India has never won a Test match at Edgbaston, and this could add to their woes. The Gujarat Titans opener looked a bit jittery on the field in terms of his shoulder on the last day. India still has a week before the next Test begins, and they do have a mammoth task at hand.
Having received his Test cap from India’s former No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara, Sudharsan knew what he was stepping into. He walked in to bat after a solid partnership between KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal was cut short, with the former’s dismissal. India’s new No.3 failed to make a mark in the first innings, as he was sent packing by England skipper Ben Stokes. Sudharsan was caught down the leg side as he tried to reach for a delivery wide of the leg stump. As a result, he couldn’t trouble the scorers in the first innings.
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But the youngster showed a lot of promise in the second innings. Coming in to bat with the team’s score at 16/1, he stitched a short but valuable partnership with Rahul. He scored a steady 30, comprising four boundaries, and looked in control just when he fell to a trap by Stokes. The English skipper took a fielder out of the leg-gully position and placed him at short mid-wicket, enticing Sudharsan to go for the flick – a shot which he had hit for a boundary on the previous ball. But this time, he managed to hit the ball straight to Zak Crawley at short mid-wicket. His innings looked good till it lasted, and India will hope that he overcomes his injury scare ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston.
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