‘You’re One Of The Best In This Country’ - Sudharsan Reveals Gambhir’s Words Of Encouragement

Following the drawn 2-2 Test series away in England, the Indian selectors took a bold call ahead of the home Test season, axing the experienced Karun Nair and putting their trust in young Sai Sudharsan, despite the former outperforming the youngster in the UK. 

Sudharsan entered the West Indies series with a Test average of 23, and that number further took a hit after he posted 7 in the solitary innings he batted in the first Test in Ahmedabad. However, despite calls to do away with the youngster, the team management persisted with the 24-year-old, and he finally had a breakthrough game at the Test level in the second Test, posting scores of 87 & 39 to justify his selection.

However, head coach Gambhir was always going to persist with Sudharsan even if he’d failed in the second Test in Delhi. 

"GG [Gambhir] sir called me and said, 'You are not getting desperate. You are one of the best players in the country. So do not think about any of the other things. Don't think that you have to score runs in this game or what will happen if you don'’t,” Sudharsan told ESPNCricinfo.

"He told me, 'You will play.' The way he said that gave me so much confidence and freedom. I was trying to be more free and not think about external factors or the magnitude of things. But when you hear it from the head coach himself, the perspective and environment change drastically.

"That helped me express myself better as well. Even in that game [2nd Test], I wasn't in a mindset just to get runs, I was in a mindset to fight and win for the team, to dominate for the team."

Individuals often talk about ‘sealing’ their spot in the side, but for Sudharsan, the goal is different. He’s keen on ‘fighting’ for the team, and thus his main aim is to win ‘every session’, rather than dreaming of scoring big to secure his spot in the side.

"I take it game by game, inning by inning, look at the situation, and react as best as I can," he said. 

"Playing for India, there's so much competition. So many great cricketers who have done well, are doing well, and will continue to do well. I'm not looking at a spot to cement or thinking about securing a place. I'm playing for a reason and that is to win games and fight for my team. That's my mindset when I walk in.

"When I think about sealing a spot or playing for safety, I tend to go defensive and play for myself, which I definitely don't want to do. I look at it from a different perspective - to win one session at a time and make a difference there. Runs will be a by-product of that process." 

Slotted in at No.3, Sudharsan is filling the big shoes of Cheteshwar Pujara. India had Pujara hold the No.3 spot post 2010, and had Rahul Dravid do wonders in the same position the decade prior to that. 

The youngster knows he’s filling massive shoes, and is thus just ‘grateful’ for the opportunity to bat at No.3.

"It's a great responsibility, and I'm grateful for the opportunity," he said. 

"No. 3 is also like an opening spot. There's not a big difference, to be honest. But playing for India, wherever we get an opportunity, we have to be on point, not just fill a place but be really ready for whichever spot we play.

"We have great examples. Like KL [Rahul] bhai, who has played in almost all positions and is so versatile. We can learn from him. We have to be ready for all those challenges. 

“I wouldn't say I prefer one or the other. I've played quite a lot at No. 3, even in the IPL, and when I was younger in the under-14s and under-16s also I've batted at No. 3. So I enjoy both. It's not a big difference.”