Sai Sudharsan has been scrutinised after his sluggish performance with the bat in the first innings against West Indies in the first Test match at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Sai Sudharsan, who recently debuted in Test cricket during the England tour, joined the red-ball squad amid high expectations but has struggled to make an impact in the initial phase of his career. The left-handed batter has scored just 147 runs in the first seven innings of his career, while the management has high expectations from him at the number 3 position.
In the series opener against the West Indies, Sai Sudharsan failed to get going on his maiden home Test and was dismissed for just 7. He failed to hold his nerves and also had a brainfade moment before getting out, which nearly cost KL Rahul’s wicket.
Meanwhile, the left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan also got dismissed while playing a bizarre shot. He misjudged the length of an off-spinner and went for a pull shot, only to be struck on the back leg. Caught awkwardly mid-shot, he failed to connect with the ball and walked back to the pavilion without considering a review.
Sai Sudharsan’s consistent failure in Test cricket – A concern
Top-order batter B Sai Sudharsan is struggling to find his feet as India’s new No. 3 in Test cricket as he recorded another low score. Sudharsan mustered 7 runs before being trapped LBW by Roston Chase on the opening day of the first Test between India and West Indies that got underway at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
It was the seventh innings of Sai Sudharsan’s Test career that kicked off with a four-ball duck in England earlier this year. Since debut, thrice he has scored 30 or more and once crossed 50. He’s averaging 21 after seven innings which is in sharp contrast to his overall first-class average of 40.43.
Sai Sudharsan looked in good touch in the lead up to the Windies series, hitting a century and two half-centuries during the Unofficial Test series between India A and Australia A recently. So why is he struggling at the international level. While announcing the India Test squad for the West Indies series, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said that the team management wants to give Sai Sudharsan a long rope to settle into the role which earlier belonged to the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahul Dravid.
“It’s a little bit about continuity. I think there were a few changes at No. 3 (in England), because of the combination that we played. So that just depends on what the captain and the coach at that point want, and what balance they want,” Agarkar told reporters.
“But as far as going forward is concerned, Sai has shown a lot of promise. We know he’s a very good player. Hopefully, we can give him a longish run from now on, at a particular number. Hopefully, going forward, we can give these guys time to actually build their careers,” he added.
Former Indian cricketer now commentator has raised serious concerns on Sai Sudharsan’s poor form and has raised alarming bells regarding the same.
Aakash Chopra slams Sai Sudharsan for his poor run of form at No 3 for India vs WI
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra opined that Sai Sudarshan is well short of runs and needs to buck up to cement the No.3 position in the batting order. The left-handed batter was dismissed for just seven runs on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 2.
The selectors kept faith in Sai Sudharsan as their No.3 going forward after his debut series in England, where he had a rough start. However, the batter did not begin the home season in an assuring fashion after he was trapped LBW by a Roston Chase delivery that skidded on and kept a touch low during the 25th over of the first innings.
Sai Sudharsan has kept his place in the setup ahead of the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair as the team eyes a long-term No.3 amid transition and Shubman Gill’s switch to No.4 in the batting order. Aakash Chopra stated that Sai Sudharsan can only seal the No.3 spot with a lot more runs before the competition gets to him and the rope runs out.
“I’m a little disappointed for Sai Sudharsan, because he has not scored enough runs to cement the No.3 spot. I’ll tell you one thing, one mistake is allowed in cricket, which is to pick the wrong length, but if you play with a straight bat on top of that, then batters get out nine times out of ten,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Ahead of the West Indies series, Sai Sudharsan featured for India ‘A’ in the unofficial Tests against Australia ‘A’ in Lucknow. He was amongst the runs in the two-match series, amassing 248 runs in three innings, including a hundred in the record run chase in the second match.
The left-handed batter’s Test cricket journey had begun with an unfortunate duck on debut at Leeds in the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy series opener. After being dropped for the subsequent couple of matches, he made a strong statement by scoring his first fifty during the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
However, he was not able to close out the tour on a high, with only a couple of starts to his name as India ended the series with a scoreline of 2-2. At the close of play, the home side was 121 for 2, still trailing by 41 runs. Siraj (4/40) and Bumrah (3/32) led India’s impressive bowling effort on a day briefly interrupted by rain.
KL Rahul, who notched the series’ first fifty, was unbeaten on 53 from 114 deliveries, hitting six fours, while India captain Shubman Gill supported him with 18 off 42 balls, including a boundary at Stumps on Day 1.
Also Read:Â ENG vs IND : Shubman Gill Appointed Test Skipper For Red Ball