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Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan will need to be far more consistent with the bat in Test cricket if he hopes to cement his place in that position. That is because Devdutt Padikkal is not far behind in the race to claim that slot and make it his own, sources told CricBlogger.
As the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan is finalised, Padikkal could emerge as a strong long-term option, given his positive intent and the backing he enjoys from head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Sources said Sai too enjoys the backing of his Test captain Shubman Gill, with the two also opening the innings together for Gujarat Titans. But that support alone may not be enough to secure his place.
“If Sai scores some runs, Devdutt Padikkal still stands a chance of making the playing XI,” a source said.
Even the team management is not overly optimistic about Sai enjoying a prolonged run, as the Test side is in need of a serious revamp and head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to go all out to make that transition happen. “Padikkal is already in the team and so he is going to get an extended run very soon,” the source added.
With the India national cricket team having struggled against sides like New Zealand and South Africa at home in recent years, both the selectors and team management are keen to bring greater accountability to the Test batting unit.
Without directly blaming the coach, the board has made it clear that India’s Test batters need to embrace tougher challenges and show greater consistency if the side is to earn the same reputation in red-ball cricket that it enjoys in white-ball formats.
The No. 3 position, in particular, is seen as crucial to providing stability to the batting order. A dependable one-down batter can anchor the innings and lend balance to the entire batting unit if he is consistent enough over a sustained period.
