Daijiworld Media Network – New Chandigarh
New Chandigarh, Jun 5: India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Friday confirmed that left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan will bat at the crucial number three position in the one-off Test against Afghanistan, set to begin on Saturday in New Chandigarh.
Gambhir said the team management is keen to give the young batter a consistent run in the Test side, stressing that Sudharsan has not yet received a fair opportunity at the highest level.
“Sai Sudharsan hasn’t got a fair chance. He played in England. We will give him a longer rope,” Gambhir said during the pre-match press conference.
He added that the selection committee is not worried about short-term performances and wants to build stability in the Test middle order.
“We can only pick 11 players and Sai isn’t in bad form. He scored 700 runs in the IPL. If we judge Sai on the basis of 4-5 games, we will never be able to build something,” he said.
The number three slot in India’s Test batting order has remained unsettled since Cheteshwar Pujara moved out of the side. Since then, multiple players have been tried at the position without any long-term success.
Shubman Gill had the longest stint at No. 3 before being moved to No. 4 after taking over Test captaincy following the retirement of senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the format.
In recent Tests, players including Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, and Devdutt Padikkal have all been tested at the position, reflecting India’s ongoing search for stability.
Sudharsan, who has played six Tests so far, has an average of just over 27 and previously managed scores of 15 and 14 against South Africa in Guwahati.
Despite India’s current position of sixth in the World Test Championship standings, Gambhir remained optimistic about the team’s chances.
“We believe that we can win the WTC. There is talent and hunger in this team,” he said. Commenting on the tight schedule after the IPL, he added, “There are no excuses. Test matches are about mental toughness.”