Follow UsEver since making his Test debut against England, Sai Sudharsan has been quite underwhelming. He has managed just 273 runs from five Tests, with just a couple of fifties to his name. Even in the two unofficial Tests against South Africa recently, he could not stamp his authority with scores of 32, 12, 17 and 23.
With big scores having eluded him recently, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the southpaw is just one hundred away from finding his confidence and rhythm at the highest level.
Another reason for Sudharsan to score big is the fact that Dhruv Jurel is breathing down his neck and could also be asked to bat at three if the Tamil Nadu batter fails to establish himself in that position.
"It will be an important series for Sai. However, he is a young player who is maturing rapidly. He scored some runs in England. He also got some runs against the West Indies. He has shown that he has the potential. It is just about converting his starts. There were a couple of occasions in England where there were some soft dismissals as well. So we will have to ensure that he doesn't give away his wicket. He converts his starts into a big one. Once he gets that first Test hundred, I think he will be a lot more confident," Pujara said on JioHotstar, as per Hindustan Times.
"And it's not just about the No.3 spot. It is also about him proving that he can be part of this playing 11. It doesn't matter whether he continues batting at No. 3 or, depending on the team's requirements, if the batting position changes. As of now, yes, he is the one who will continue batting at No. 3. But Dhruv Jurel is someone who has also shown a lot of potential.
"If he starts scoring runs, you never know. He might be batting at a different position. However, Sai Sudarshan, being a left-hander, will find it crucial to maintain the No. 3 position. So I hope that Sai gets his maiden 100. He has shown a lot of potential. So I am very hopeful that he will start scoring runs very soon," he added.
Speaking of Jurel, he slammed his maiden Test ton in the previous series against the West Indies and moreover, goes into the series against South Africa with twin hundreds in the unofficial Test.
While he is assured of a place in the XI in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, starting November 14 (Friday), he could also move to three in the future depending on whether India decide to play with an extra batter, bowler or even an all-rounder.