‘Sai Hasn’t Got a Fair Chance’: Gambhir Backs Sudharsan at No. 3 vs Afghanistan

Ahead of India's one-off Test match against Afghanistan, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Sai Sudharsan will be batting at number three, saying that he has "not got a fair chance".

Team India will be playing a one-off Test against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh on Saturday.

With this Test match not being a part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, this match will give Team India a good chance to solve their batting and bowling woes that have contributed to their Test decline in the past two years, which also includes two series whitewash defeats at home.

One of these is the resolution of the number three revolving door, with the Gujarat Titans (GT) accumulator not quite able to make the most of his chances.

In six Tests and 11 innings so far, he has made 302 runs at an average of just 27.45, with two fifties and a best score of 87.

Why does Gautam Gambhir believe Sai Sudharsan hasn’t got a fair chance in Tests?

Speaking during the presser about Sudharsan's run at number three in Tests, he said, "Honestly, Sai has not got a fair chance. He has only played what, a handful of Test matches. And he started his Test career in England, which we all know is not the easiest place. And he has had a phenomenal run in IPL as well, and we have got to give him a fair chance. I still believe that he has not got a fair chance."

Sudharsan had a second successive 700-run IPL season with GT, scoring 722 runs in 17 innings at an average of 45.12 and a strike rate of 157.98, including a century and eight fifties.

On the possibility of accommodating Devdutt Padikkal in the side, Gambhir said that he will have to wait for his opportunity.

“And again, Sai is not in bad form either. He has got what, 700 runs in IPL. And if judging players by only four or five Test matches is good enough, then I feel that we will never be able to build something," he added.

"So, hopefully, he (Padikkal) will get his time. Whenever his time comes, we will give him a fair run as well,” the Indian head coach said.

“And it is not about giving someone five Test matches and someone else one Test match. If we give someone a fair run, we will give the other guy, whenever he gets the opportunity a fair run as well. But at the moment, I think we got to give Sai a fair run, and he is a world-class player as well. He is a quality player, and I am sure he'll come out," he added.

Padikkal has played two Tests for India, scoring 90 runs in three innings with a fifty. He has had a great IPL title-winning team with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), scoring 464 runs in 15 innings at an average of 33.14 and a strike rate of 168.72, including three fifties and a best score of 61.

(With inputs from ANI)