‘Player has his career on the line’: Gautam Gambhir told to ‘give long rope’ to one between Sundar and Sudharsan
India head coach Gautam Gambhir asked to identify one long-term No.3 between Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar.
Ajinkya Rahane, the man who held the No.5 position for India for a long time, has urged the current team management to identify a long-term No.3 between Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar and give the concerned player a “long rope.” In the first Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens, the think tank decided to drop Sudharsan and go in with Sundar at the all-important slot. Ever since head coach Gautam Gambhir took over, the position of No.3 has been a key issue, with a game of musical chairs being played out.
Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Karun Nair have been tried out at No.3 in the past year; however, none of them has made the slot their own, and this has led the team to try out different players. The team management's fascination with all-rounders is now a well-known fact, and this led to Sundar replacing Sudharsan at the all-important slot for the Kolkata Test, which India eventually lost by 30 runs.
Now, Rahane has urged the team management to identify one player for the key batting position and give them a consistent run, as it is a matter of someone's career. He also said that completely different skills are required to bat at No.3 compared to No.6 or 7.
Also Read: India ‘wasting time’ with revolving door at no. 3 for Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan
“I'll take a name. Sai Sudharsan. He did well, 87 and 39, I guess. When you bat at No.3, it requires a different skill. Batting at 6 or 7, requires a different skill. Washy is a great player, an amazing player and an amazing talent. But going to bat at No.3 is very confusing for him. He must be thinking, ‘How do I set my game?’ Washy, I believe, is a bowling all-rounder,” said Rahane while speaking to Ashwin on the latter's YouTube show ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“If he has to bat at No.3, then he has to prepare differently, and he will need to give it more time. Batting lower down the order is a completely different skill. Situations and conditions are different. Whether it is Washy or Sai, giving security is of utmost importance," he added.
‘Give long rope’
Speaking of Sudharsan, the left-handed batter made his debut in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, but the youngster failed to set the stage on fire, returning with underwhelming scores.
In his last Test, Sudharsan played an 87-run knock against the West Indies, and everyone believed him to be a sure-shot starter against the Proteas. However, with an injury concern around captain Shubman Gill, the 24-year-old is expected to return to the playing XI for the second Test in Guwahati, where India must gain a victory to level the two-match series.
“If the team management is looking at Sai at No.3 for a long duration, then he should be given the long rope. Similar to Washy,” said Rahane.
"A player has his career on the line. We have to play for our country, so if you want to get a player playing at No.3 for long, then giving them a long rope is important,” he added.
