Gambhir Backs Sudharsan at No. 3 for India-Afghanistan Test, Says He Deserves Fair Chance

"Still believe he has not got a fair chance": Gambhir confirms Sudharsan will bat at three in IND-AFG Test

New Chandigarh, June 5

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.

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.

"You can only pick 11, unfortunately, and sometimes you just have to wait for your opportunity. I have always believed that uh, guys who are... who we are going to play, we will give them a fair run. 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 said.

"So, hopefully, he (Padikkal) will get his time. Whenever his time comes, we will give him a fair run as well. 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 signed off.

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.

Padikkal had a strong season in domestic cricket last year, scoring 543 runs in six matches and 10 innings at an average of 60.33, including two centuries and a fifty in his side's runners-up finish in Ranji Trophy, which included a marathon 330-ball 232 against Uttarakhand in the semifinal.

He was at his absolute lethal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), the premier state 50-over competition, emerging as the second-highest run-getter with 725 runs in nine innings at an average of 90.62, including four centuries and two fifties. The left-hander's brilliant strokeplay and consistency were crucial in the team's semifinal run.

In six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) matches, a T20 tournament, Padikkal slammed 309 runs in six innings at an average of 61.80 and a strike rate of 167.02, with a century and two fifties. But his team failed to reach the knockout stages.

— ANI