‘You would want to continue…’: Former Indian star backs Sai Sudharsan for No. 3 slot for 2nd Test vs South Africa

India is going to face South Africa in the second and series deciding Test in Guwahati, a venue which is uncharted territory for both the teams. For this game, former opener Aakash Chopra backed Sai Sudarshan to bat at crucial number three slot, if skipper Shubhman Gill misses out due to neck spasm.

Washington Sundar once again proved himself to be a capable batter while batting at No. 3 in the second innings of the Eden Gardens Test. So, should the left-hander be persisted with at that position, particularly if injured skipper Shubman Gill does not play in the series decider? Aakash said the team management should get their priority right while finding answers to that vexed question.

“Washington Sundar presents himself as a phenomenal option who can actually bat at the top of the order. He is more than a handy bowler. But then the bigger question that Gautam (Gambhir) and the team management need to answer is are we going to keep changing goalposts after every series?” Chopra, a JioStar expert, said during a Media Day ahead of the second Test.

“When we were in England, we tried Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair at No. 3. Not that Washington wasn’t available at that point in time but we chose somebody else. Then we came to India, and gave Sai Sudharsan an opportunity and he actually grabbed it with both hands versus the West Indies at Delhi with an 87,” he added.

Chopra used the half-century by Sai Sudharsan to vindicate his argument of giving priority to a pure batter at No. 3- since that is a position which is a critical place in Test cricket.

“So, you would want to continue with him (Sudharsan) and see where he goes because when you are looking at number 3, a very important batting position in Tests, you need to first prioritise the batting capabilities and not just the skill but also the temperament and also the patience and the ability to bat and be there for longer period of time.”