Boria Majumdar at Old Trafford
He has been one of the most consistent batters in recent seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But then, the IPL and Test cricket are chalk and cheese. Sai Sudharsan had experienced it in Leeds, when he got out for a duck. In the second innings, he was batting well before Ben Stokes exploited his on-side weakness and got him caught at short midwicket. Thereafter, he did not get another opportunity. With India going with Karun Nair at No. 3, Sai had to sit out. While he did take a few catches, it is never the same as when you are playing.
He did get an opportunity in Manchester, something that was reported by us when he did what he usually does on match-day-minus-one. At a time when the wicket was covered and it was still raining, Sai went on the hover-cover barefoot to try and visualise. The new Sai doesn’t do much batting at the nets on match eve, and it was interesting to see him go to the pitch and start doing shadow batting. Once he finished his routine at the Brian Statham end, he repeated it from the James Anderson End. It was apparent he wanted this and wanted it badly.
With India getting a solid start thanks to KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai finally had to come out after lunch. And let’s be clear, things weren’t easy for him. With the cloud cover embracing Old Trafford, England tested him with everything they had. From getting the ball to move around outside off to bowling on his legs to try to induce the edge, everything was tried. In fact, Stokes did almost succeed, but Jamie Smith misjudged what could have been an easy catch.
In essence, Sai wasn’t looking good. None of the elegance that we have seen in the IPL. Rather, for a long time, he struggled. But then, he did not give up and that’s what mattered for India. He wanted to be out there and fight. Be beaten, yes, but don’t get out. That’s what Test cricket is all about, and that’s what Sai was prepared to do.
Many like Michael Clarke and Eoin Morgan have identified Sai as the next batting star from India. Level-headed and hugely hard working, Sai Su, as he is known, keeps things simple. All he is wants to do is bat. Bat for hours and hours and enjoy every moment of it.
I have spoken to Sai multiple times in the last few months, and in one such conversation, I remember telling him that he had made serious strides in the last one year. He had also made the India A team and travelled to Australia. And now to England. Playing red-ball and white-ball cricket for India should be the ultimate dream. His answer, may I say, was interesting.
“If you are a painter, playing for India is your dream canvas to paint,” he told me. “There can be nothing better in the world for a cricketer. And it is the same for me. You just have to put in the hard yards. Work to it. Having said that, playing for India is the ultimate dream and I will do anything to make sure I achieve it.”
The truth is, today was his day. He did the hard yards and played superbly well for his 61. Looked ugly at times, but did not give up. Just when he needed to rein in his instincts after Rishabh Pant’s unfortunate departure, his inexperience got the better of him. Stokes laid the trap and Sai fell for it. That’s what summed up the day. Each time India were about to take control, England managed to come back. But then, hasn’t that been the story of this series?
And yes, the potential loss of Pant is a gigantic blow for India. To see him back in the series would be a miracle, and those rarely happen.
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