Sai Sudharsan has not found his rhythm yet in Tests. Image Credits: AFP
Since Cheteshwar Pujara’s omission, India have not found a suitable No.3 in Test cricket. Shubman Gill did reasonably well on this spot, but once he moved to No.4, the likes of Sai Sudharsan haven’t looked convincing enough.
Last year, India also tried Karun Nair in England initially, before Washington Sundar had a crack at home. Since then, Nair has been out of the setup entirely, while Sundar has been seen more as a middle or lower-middle-order option.
Sai Sudharsan’s issues at No.3
Ahead of the Afghanistan Test, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Sudharsan will get a longer rope at No.3. That means he will start ahead of Devdutt Padikkal again in Mullanpur.
Sai Sudharsan has played 11 innings at No.3, scoring 302 runs at an average of 27.45 across six matches. He has just two fifties and six scores of 15 or fewer.
In England, Sudharsan played a decent innings of 61 in Manchester and had a couple of starts in Leeds and The Oval. However, he registered two ducks on the tour.
Later, he failed again in the first Test against the West Indies, but played a couple of good knocks in Delhi to get an extension for the South Africa rubber. Sudharsan again failed to make substantial scores in the second Test in Guwahati to leave the spot vulnerable.
Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Confirms No.3 For India's One-Off Test vs Afghanistan
Issues with spin
India will play a few crucial series in Asia in the coming days, starting with a one-off Test against Afghanistan. They have a tour to Sri Lanka later this year before Australia come to their shores early next year.
Spin will play a massive role in all these assignments, and Sai Sudharsan has looked highly vulnerable against them. Overall, he has an average of 32.40 with five dismissals against tweakers in a short career.
A major chink has been his tendency to move off the back foot, even on slightly fuller lengths. That makes him a huge LBW candidate, with spinners employing straighter lines at flatter trajectories.
On the back foot, he averages just 23 and plays around 24.84% false shots against slow bowlers. His dismissal against Roston Chase in Ahmedabad serves as a perfect example.
Sai Sudharsan has shown vulnerability on the back foot
Sudharsan didn’t even read the length and shuffled off the back foot to pull the ball. Unfortunately, it was too full to pull, as the ball hit his back leg, trapping him in front.
This was an issue that India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also highlighted.
“The only thing we talk about is (that) some of the very full balls also he plays on the back foot. So, we are trying to cut out on that. He very much knows that, and he is trying (to rectify it).”
India will likely get several spinning tracks in almost every series at home and in Sri Lanka. That’s how decks have been across Asia for a while now, with home teams looking for results.
So if Sudharsan has to seal his spot at No.3, he must improve his technique against spinners and start picking lengths better. He also needs to play a lot straighter in the longest format.
Devdutt Padikkal waiting in the wings
Sai Sudharsan has management’s backing at the moment, but performances must come now. Devdutt Padikkal, who enjoyed a terrific red-ball run last year, has a strong case already and will put Sai under pressure.
He amassed 543 runs at an average of 60.33 in 10 outings, including one fifty and two centuries, in Ranji Trophy 2025/26. Earlier last year, Padikkal had also hit a terrific ton against Australia A in Lucknow.
Padikkal boasts a much better First Class record than Sudharsan and has hardly put a foot wrong in the format, with domestic runs on the back. He will be hard to ignore, and this management has shown a tendency to opt for quick results.
The idea behind giving Sai Sudharsan a long run despite a modest Test and FC record is understandable. They have already tried too many options in the last year and should opt for stability.
In that sense, the one-off Test against Afghanistan comes at the right time for Sai Sudharsan to get among runs and gain some confidence after a fine IPL 2026. However, if he fails to perform here, Devdutt Padikkal might well start in the Sri Lanka rubber.
Also Read: Where Is India's Test Squad From Afghanistan's 2018 Last Test?
