Sai Sudharsan’s role threatened? Ryan Ten Doeschate reveals Indian team’s plan for second Test in West Indies | Cricket News
Sai Sudharsan may not have had the dream start to his Test career, but the Indian team management continues to have full faith in the young batter’s potential. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that the Tamil Nadu left-hander has the support of captain Shubman Gill and the support staff as India prepare for the second Test against the West Indies starting on Friday. Sudharsan, who turns 24 next week, has scored 147 runs in seven innings so far in a half-century. Despite modest returns, Ten Doeschate said his team believed in their ability to make an impact at the top of the order. “I’m sure he feels he has our support, that of the captain and that of the coaching staff. And we believe he will keep his promise very soon,” Ten Doeschate said on Wednesday. With Rishabh Pant set to return for the South Africa series and Dhruv Jurel impressing with both his bat and gloves, Sudharsan faces increasing competition for his place. But Ten Doeschate believes such challenges are part of the game for India. “I don’t think you can pursue a career as a cricketer in India if you don’t expect this kind of competition. It’s quite impossible and we know it’s difficult enough to deal with that,” he said. “Sai just needs to focus on his confidence in himself. We obviously have a lot of confidence in him to give him that third place.”The coach also added: “I think he is under no illusions and he cannot hide the fact that you are fighting for a place in this environment. You know, you have seen Karun Nair win four Test matches in England.”
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The coach also dismissed any rumors of panic regarding Sudharsan’s form. “There is definitely no panic or worry, especially in a winning team, you can absorb that,” said Ten Doeschate, adding that Sudharsan will get enough opportunities to prove himself in the ongoing series. He also highlighted the challenges of irregular scheduling between Test matches. “It doesn’t help that you have five Test matches in the UK and then wait six weeks to play the next one. But again, that’s the nature of Test cricket in this era, and he has to find a way to do it,” Ten Doeschate added.
