CRICKET | Spotlight on Sai Sudharsan’s search for a big score

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Sai Sudharsan, practising up  of the 2nd  and last  Test against West Indies successful  New Delhi connected  Wednesday, volition  look   to drawback   the accidental  that comes his mode   contempt  middling returns.

Sai Sudharsan, practising up of the 2nd and last Test against West Indies successful New Delhi connected Wednesday, volition look to drawback the accidental that comes his mode contempt middling returns. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

As India hurtled towards triumph wrong 3 days successful the archetypal Test against West Indies astatine Ahmedabad, B. Sai Sudharsan whitethorn person momentarily harboured conflicting emotions. While the broad borderline was a gratifying instrumentality to winning ways astatine location for the team, the left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu wouldn’t person minded a 2nd ace with the willow successful the game. As it turned out, West Indies was truthful inept with the bat adjacent the 2nd clip astir that it went down by an innings and 140 runs.

It near Sai Sudharsan with nary accidental to marque amends for his archetypal innings, wherever a people of 7 was each helium managed earlier being dismissed leg-before by Roston Chase’s off-spin. In an innings wherever everybody other got a commencement — helium and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the lone dismissed batters to not scope a half-century — the 23-year-old’s single-digit effort didn’t marque for favourable speechmaking against an onslaught that appeared innocuous for ample parts.

When Jaiswal was dismissed connected 36 against the tally of play, the perfect instauration had been acceptable for the No. 3 to amass a large score. It would person acted arsenic a springboard for idiosyncratic who is uncovering his footing successful pristine whites aft a circuit of England that evoked mixed sentiments astir his game.

But successful the 25th over, helium committed the fatal blunder of going backmost to a transportation that wasn’t each that short. As soon arsenic the shot missed Sai Sudharsan’s swipe crossed the enactment and thudded into his near pad, umpire Richard Illingworth raised his scale finger.

It means that the top-order batter’s returns aft 4 Tests work 147 runs successful 7 innings, with conscionable 1 half-century. In England, the youngster did predominantly show a dependable defence, but ne'er managed to capitalise connected the unusually adust and benign surfaces connected offer. That helium was caught down the limb broadside for a duck successful his precise archetypal innings of the bid seemed to marque him conscious against that ploy arsenic the circuit wore on.

If it was Karun Nair who was axed aft the circuit of the Old Blighty and not Sai Sudharsan contempt akin returns, it is mostly due to the fact that the second has property connected his side. But with Devdutt Padikkal, 25, successful the squad and awaiting his chance, the southpaw from Chennai volition person to soon commencement pulling his value successful the playing eleven. The 2nd Test astatine the Arun Jaitley Stadium from Friday provides an imminent opportunity.

Published - October 09, 2025 03:00 americium IST

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