For long, the Indian Test team is looking to find a solid No. 3 batter for the side. After Cheteshwar Pujara’s exit from the team in 2023, a host of options have been tried, and more recently, on the England tour, India tried Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair were tried. Both looked out of sorts and could manage only one fifty each.
Sai Sudharsan Fails in 1st Innings vs WI
Cut to the first West Indies Test in Ahmedabad. Nair is axed, and Sai Sudharsan made the cut as no. 3. But then, he did not look in the best of touch, and was dismissed by Roston Chase for only 7. He looked jittery, and tentative throughout. Former India keeper Parthiv Patel too made a note of it, and said that the batter felt the pressure.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Amul Cricket Live’, Parthiv Patel said, “Sai Sudharsan looked a bit tentative today. He usually uses his feet really well, especially against left-arm spinners.
Parthiv Patel Says..
“With left-handed batters, we know that as soon as a left-arm spinner comes in, we try to rotate the strike and wait for the right ball to go after. But I thought Sai Sudharsan was probably feeling a bit of pressure to score big runs and secure that number three position. He just needs to stay calm.”
For the record, in his last 7 innings, he scored 7, 11, 38, 0, 61, 30, and 0. Despite getting starts in England, he just could not capitalise. A big reason for that was also, the selection India made between him and Nair.
