One of the most notable picks for India's upcoming tour of England, where the visitors will play five Tests, was the selection of young left-hander B Sai Sudharsan. The Tamil Nadu batter has earned his maiden Test call-up. However, the decision to pick him for the crucial tour was questioned on Monday as former Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni exposed his weakness against the Dukes ball.
Kulkarni, under whom Sudharsan played for Tamil Nadu during the 2023-24 season, outlined the batter's mediocre record in first-class cricket before hinting that the selectors might have made the wrong call in picking him. Kulkarni based his opinion on watching Sudharsan in action on seaming tracks, assessing that he showed significant struggle against the moving ball.
"His domestic record is not great. When I was the coach, I saw him play on a seaming track in at least two matches. And he didn't play well there. His technique against the moving ball needs to improve," Kulkarni said.
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However, the former Mumbai captain shared a few words of advice for Sudharsan on where he can work prior to the England tour.
{{/usCountry}}However, the former Mumbai captain shared a few words of advice for Sudharsan on where he can work prior to the England tour.
{{/usCountry}}"He has a tendency of playing away from the body while the secret of success in England is to play late and play the ball right under your nose. He has to curb some of his strokes and should play straight and close to the body. He has to work to get the technique right before the tour."
Sudharsan has county experience
Sudharsan has experience playing in seaming conditions in England, having participated in the County Championship twice for Surrey—in 2023 and 2024. He even scored a century batting at No. 6 in his last appearance.
Moreover, he has been leading the run-scoring chart in IPL this year, smashing 679 runs in 14 league games for the Gujarat Titans.
After the end of the IPL campaign, he, along with Titans captain Shubman Gill, will leave for England to participate in the India A match against the England Lions on June 6.