After a tough start to his Test career, the young Sai Sudharsan bounced back strongly with a maiden half-century during Day 1 of the fourth Test against England at Manchester on Wednesday.
The left-hander scored a solid 61, with seven boundaries, came as a reminder of his grit and ability to absorb pressure, especially after being left out of the second and third Tests.
It was the first half-century by an Indian number three outside India since December 2022. The last fifty was by a No 3 was scored by Cheteshwar Pujara (90 and 102), against Bangladesh in the first Test of the series at Chattogram.
Sudharsan, who made 0 and 30 on his debut in the series opener at Headingley, was dropped for the next two matches but he kept his calm and continued
The 23-year-old left-hander credited captain Shubman Gill for keeping the communication clear.
"Yeah, of course. After the first game, Shubby (Shubman Gill) had a conversation with me that because of the combination, and since we were playing at Edgbaston, which is a different kind of wicket but he came and gave me the complete picture, what happened behind the scenes," Sudharsan said.
"He is very communicative. As captain, Shubby is someone who expresses himself really well. He tells everyone what he is expecting, and also reassures the players by pointing out what good they are doing," Sai added.
The left-hander, who has also played under Gill at Gujarat Titans in the last couple of seasons of IPL, said it has been a special journey growing alongside him.
"Seeing Shubby from the IPL, it's been a really great journey to be a part of," Sai reflected.
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