India Assistant Coach Reiterates Confidence in Sai Sudharsan Despite Struggles As Battle For No. 3 Spot Heats Up

Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach for Team India, has opened up about Sai Sudharsan fizzling out in the West Indies Tests so far. It has been tough for the 23-year-old to prove his worth for the heavily contested number three spot in the Indian batting line-up.

Ever since making his India Test debut, Sai Sudharsan has primarily struggled to score runs for Team India. But Ten Doeschate has suggested that the young batter needs to have focus and believe in himself to improve his strokeplay.

Sai Sudharsan Gets Asst. Coach’s Backing Amid Fierce Fight For India’s No.3 Spot

Sai Sudharsan had a topsy-turvy time at the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series after falling for a duck in his first outing before returning to score 30 runs in the 2nd innings.

The dynamic southpaw was benched for two matches, handing Karun Nair the opportunity before returning in the fourth Test and scoring a 151-ball 61.

In the Ahmedabad Test against the West Indies, Sai Sudharsan's misfiring continued as he was dismissed early on in the innings, scoring just seven off 19 balls.

The fight for the number three spot continues to intensify. But Ryan ten Doeschate has suggested that the team and coaches have faith in the southpaw batter.

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"I think he's under no illusion, and you can't hide away from the fact that you do fight for a spot in this environment. You know, you saw Karun Nair get four Test matches in England. There are a lot of good players sort of fighting at the heels of whoever has possession of that spot.

"So, Sai just needs to focus on believing in himself. We've obviously got a lot of belief in him," Doeschate said in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by ANI.

Ten Doeschate added that there is no sense of panic or worry over Sai Sudharsan's misfiring at this stage. The only thing he needs to do is figure out a way to stand out and contribute runs for the team.

India XI Expected To Remain Unchanged For Delhi Test vs West Indies 

Sai Sudharsan would receive another chance to showcase his capability in the team. With the second test match happening in Delhi, the 23-year-old needs to make the best out of the opportunity.

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Team India is expected to remain unchanged, as coach Ryan ten Doeschate has suggested that they may not make any changes to the playing XI for the Delhi Test.

The second test match between India and the West Indies will take place from October 10 at the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.