Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player from India, has questioned the Indian team management’s lack of continuity in selecting rookie batsman Sai Sudharsan for the Kolkata Test match against South Africa. Due to India’s unconventional decision to field four spinners throughout the game, Axar Patel was selected for the starting lineup while Sudharsan was left out.
During the England trip, Sudharsan was dropped after just one Test despite being tested at No. 3. After Karun Nair’s failed attempt at the same position, India switched back to the Tamil Nadu batsman for the West Indies series.
With a solid 87 in the Delhi Test, Sudharsan silenced his detractors and provided compelling evidence that he should have been given a longer stint.
Nevertheless, the team management once again excluded him from the pivotal Kolkata Test despite his encouraging efforts. Chopra was not happy with the choice and questioned why Sudharsan had been included in the team if he would not be given regular opportunities, particularly after showing promise at a crucial batting position.
“Why is Sai Sudharsan still in the team if you don’t think his batting is good after what he accomplished in Delhi? Why should he remain on the team? You can’t include him even though you don’t believe in him since you need fifteen participants. It doesn’t operate that way. According to India Today, Chopra stated, “They’re thinking I don’t understand it.”
India has had trouble finding a reliable and long-term replacement for the vital batting position at No. 3 during the successful tenures of Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara. After Virat Kohli retired, current captain Shubman Gill shifted to No. 4, which caused the position to become unresolved once more, despite his notable success in the position.
Chopra emphasised that this musical chairs strategy cannot go on and voiced concern over the continuous cutting and changing. He stressed that in order to start developing players with a long-term goal in mind, the club management must find and support a qualified applicant for the role.
To play devil’s advocate, we didn’t bowl out the West Indies the second time, and there were three spinners and two fast bowlers. Additionally, the surface was flat; perhaps they wanted one more bowler because they thought they wouldn’t bowl them out. The decision, in my opinion, had nothing to do with batting. Washington and Axar will score so many runs if they play that you won’t be able to ignore Sai Sudharsan’s batting performance. That occurs,” Chopra remarked.
“Winning turns into one aspect of cricket, but the other is getting players ready and moving them forward. Indeed, Sai Sudharsan scored runs but was dropped. It’s true that you don’t instantly lose your skill as a player if you’re not in the starting lineup. Here, India has an opportunity to get their athletes ready. A game of musical chairs cannot be played over the No. 3 position. What will happen if you don’t find the appropriate person straight away, Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara? He continued, “There was Karun Nair; perhaps you’ll see Abhimanyu Easwaran next time — and then Sai doesn’t get ready at all.”
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