Can Sai Sudharsan Deliver at Number 3 After Gills Backing?

Sai Sudharsan has been backed by the Indian Test captain Shubman Gill. Now, his spot at number three is confirmed in the Test format, but Sudharsan also needs to prove himself at this spot. The second Test against the West Indies seems to be an opportunity for him to prove himself.

The Indian team has suffered a number three problem in the Test format lately. This year alone several players have been tried at this spot to bat. But out of them all, Shubman Gill has decided to back Sai Sudharsan for the same.

on his selection, but Gill might have seen the potential in him. With Sudharsan in the second Test, it seems to be an opportunity for him to prove his worth at the number three position. And who knows, maybe he could be the next number three for the Indian team, after Cheteshwar Pujara.

1. Gill Backing Sudharsan

In the Press Conference ahead of the second Test, Shubman Gill talked about how he takes inspiration from Rohit Sharma. He particularly mentioned that he would want to be a captain who backs the players in their bad times. And this talent of Gill was seen immediately for Sai Sudharsan.

Gill emphasised the fact that Sudharsan is a youngster and it is necessary for him to get consistent opportunities for the team. However, he also mentioned the probable number of games Sai Sudharsan would receive till he shows his potential for the number three spot.

The Indian skipper surely has backed Sai Sudharsan at this spot, but now it is also the responsibility of the latter to not let the captain down. Sudharsan got out cheaply at the score of 7 runs in the first Test against the West Indies. But the second Test, being played at the batter-friendly pitch,

The Assistant Coach of the Indian team, Ryan Ten Doeschate, also spoke of Sai Sudharsan earlier. He has also supported Sudharsan at the third position, and it looks like the team has finished shifting gears towards finding a batsman for this position. Nevertheless, it will not officially finish before Sudharsan can deliver some large scores.

2. Sudharsan’s Early Struggles in Test Format

Sai Sudharsan made his debut for the Indian cricket team on the England tour. Even in his first match, he was brought down at number three for the team. But unfortunately, he was not able to deliver well in the initial game he played for the team.

Sai Sudharsan in Test format:

• Innings: 7
• Not Out: 0
• Runs: 147
• Average: 21
• Strike Rate: 40.83

On his second Test outing, Sudharsan could succeed in recording his first half-century. In Manchester, he scored 61 out of 151 balls, thus demonstrating his ability to play a settled innings on behalf of the team. In the last Test that was played at the Oval, Sudharsan had a good knock of 38 off 108, even in hard conditions.

Still, he has not been able to deliver his best performance as of now at the number three spot. The next few Test matches will be important for Sudharsan to prove his potential and eventually maintain his spot in the Indian team at number three.