“He Deserves This Opportunity” - Gautam Gambhir Makes Big Sai Sudarshan Call Ahead of Afghanistan Test

The IPL season is over, and the Indian team is ready for another challenge. From tomorrow, the Test Series between India and Afghanistan is going to commence. It is a one-match series, but the hype around it is overwhelming, and so is the hype or rather anticipation, around the playing 11. Amidst all this, the Indian national men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir announced that the young left-handed batter Sai Sudarshan is the first and obvious choice for the number 3 position of the team, hoping he will be a perfect fit to be a long-term replacement for veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara.

Sudharsan debuted in Tests against England, and it's been tough for him. With six Test appearances, he's got 302 runs at an average of 27.45, including two half-centuries - his highest being 87 but the coach and the management have kept their faith in him, saying it is absolutely absurd to judge the player’s calibre based on these few games he played abroad.

"Honestly, Sai hasn't gotten a fair chance," Gambhir stated firmly to the media. "He's only played a handful of Test matches, and he started his Test career in England - a tough place for any player." Gambhir stressed his intention to support the batter more, saying, "We'll give him a longer rope." Gambhir has tons of faith in Sudharsan because of how well he's been playing in white-ball cricket. In the latest Indian Premier League season, Sudharsan was on fire for the Gujarat Titans. He scored 722 runs in 17 matches with a strike rate of 157.98. Now, the head coach admits red-ball cricket is different. Still, he says Sudharsan deserves some patience due to his obvious talent. "We can only choose 11 players, and Sai isn't doing badly," Gambhir pointed out. "He scored 700 runs in the IPL. We need to look at the bigger picture; focusing on just a few games won’t help us build anything."

The choice of having Sudarshan playing at number 3 means players like Devdutt Padikkal will still have to wait for their turn. The number three spot has always been in a chaotic situation ever since Pujara retired, but it seems finally the position is clear, and if Sudarshan can impress the management and convince them to keep having faith in him, he is the clear choice of number 3 for the upcoming years. Plus, Shubman Gill has had to move to No. 4. Still, Gambhir stays realistic about team limits, pointing out there's room for only eleven players. So, some talented guys just have to be patient for a chance.

This choice locks out other talented players, like Devdutt Padikkal, who'll need to wait for their turn. Meanwhile, the No. 3 spot has been chaotic with seven different players trying it on for size since Pujara left. Plus, Shubman Gill has had to move to No. 4. Still, Gambhir stays realistic about team limits, pointing out there's room for only eleven players. So, some talented guys just have to be patient for a chance. But with the test match coming, all eyes will be on Sudarshan and how he performs in this spot.

Sportscape believes Gautam Gambhir's strong support towards Sai Sudarshan shows his intent of building a strong foundation within the team based on trust and perseverance; now it is up to Sudarshan to show whether the trust should be kept or someone else should be considered.