The Shubman Gill-led India squad arrived in Sri Lanka without opener Sai Sudharsan, who stayed back in Bengaluru to recover from a toe injury. His inclusion depends on BCCI fitness clearance. If unavailable, Devdutt Padikkal is likely to replace him.
The Shubman Gill-led India squad has arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, ahead of the two-match Test series, starting on August 15. India departed for Sri Lanka on August 4 and landed in the island nation later that day to begin preparations for the series.
The upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, with the opening match at Galle International Stadium, is crucial for Team India, as valuable World Test Championship (WTC) points will be at stake. India are currently at the fifth position on the WTC points table, making every match vital for their chances of climbing the standings and securing a spot in the WTC final.
Before the Test series, India will play a 3-day practice match against a local Sri Lankan XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo, starting on August 7, to fine-tune their preparations and adapt to the conditions.
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Why Didn’t Sai Sudharan Travel with the Squad?
As the India squad arrived in Colombo for a practice match before heading to Galle for the opening match of the Test series against Sri Lanka, a familiar face was missing from the travelling contingent: young left-handed opener Sai Sudharsan.
Sudharsan was added to India's Test squad for the away series against Sri Lanka, but his inclusion was made strictly subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, after he sustained a toe injury during the preceding India A tour of the island nation. The 24-year-old has been undergoing rehabilitation at CoE since his return from Sri Lanka in July.
According to reports, Sai Sudharsan stayed back in Bengaluru for rehabilitation and net practice under the watchful eye of the medical staff, who have been tasked with closely monitoring his recovery before clearing him to join the senior national team in Sri Lanka. It was reported that the young batter is expected to bat at full intensity this week at the CoE.
Though Sai Sudharsan didn’t travel with the squad to Sri Lanka, the Tamil Nadu batter is expected to join the team in Sri Lanka ahead of the first Test in Galle once he receives official clearance from the medical team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).
However, the team management is hoping for his fitness clearance from the BCCI medical team before the practice match, ensuring that he can get adequate match practice and make a strong case for a spot in the starting XI for the opening Test.
What if Sai Sudharsan Doesn’t Receive Fitness Clearance in Time?
Sai Sudharsan’s participation in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka has been thrown into uncertainty as his rehabilitation timeline remains tight, leaving the team management to weigh alternative options at the top of the order should he fail to recover fully in time for the opening encounter in Galle.
Since Jasprit Bumrah has already been ruled out of the Sri Lanka Test series after experiencing discomfort on his already injured left knee during rehabilitation at the BCCI CoE, the team management would prefer to avoid taking any similar risk with Sai Sudharsan. If Sudharsan doesn’t clear his fitness tests before the opening match in Galle, Devdutt Padikkal would be slotted to No.3 in the batting line-up.
Since Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are expected to open, Devdutt Padikkal would slot in right behind them at number three to anchor the innings if Sai is unable to prove his fitness in time. Sai Sudharsan was the highest run-getter in India A’s Test series against Sri Lanka A, amassing 332 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 166.00 in four innings.
If Sai Sudharsan is ruled out of the series opener, team management would hope for a Tamil Nadu batter to recover swiftly so he can still be rushed to the island nation for the second and final Test of the series at Sinhalese Cricket Ground in Colombo.
In his Test career, Sudharsan has aggregated 383 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 31.92 in seven matches.
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