Sai Sudharsan was on course for his maiden Test century but was dismissed against the run of play.
Sai Sudharsan Shines with an 87-Run Knock in Second Test Against West Indies
Sai Sudharsan, 23, faced immense pressure when he walked out to bat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium for the second Test of the two-match series against the West Indies on Friday. Struggling to cement his place at the No.3 spot, questions about his position in the team were growing. Yet, the young left-hander silenced the critics with an impressive 87-run innings off 165 balls, including 12 boundaries. His century bid was cut short when he was dismissed by Jomel Warrican, ending a 193-run second-wicket partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
After the innings, Sudharsan candidly admitted that the thought of a century lingered in his mind but expressed satisfaction with his performance and the partnership. “I am definitely grateful for whatever I’ve done today, but there’s always a monkey in our mind that wants more, wants that hundred. It was a good contribution and a very good partnership with Yashasvi. I was not thinking about getting runs, I was a bit freer and I expressed a bit better in this innings,” he said.
At stumps on Day 1, India were 318/2, with Jaiswal and Shubman Gill unbeaten on 173 and 20 respectively. Sudharsan praised Jaiswal’s attacking display from the other end, saying, “It’s fascinating and so thrilling to watch him. He plays a lot of exciting shots, converting many good balls into boundaries, which gives me more awareness of what kind of shots to be played.”
‘Learning to be aware’
Sai Sudharsan emphasized the importance of playing according to the situation, focusing on judicious shot selection. “There’s no competing there, but I am learning a lot more and being more aware of what shots to play if I want to convert good balls into runs,” he said.
He also shared insights on the pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, noting that it has been staying low and offering assistance to spinners. “I feel it’s staying a bit low and it will start to turn more from tomorrow. Even when you hit the ball, it’s not flying off your bat. Hopefully, off the rough it will start turning,” Sudharsan added.