India’s young and top order batter, Sai Sudharsan, didn’t take the field during the third morning of the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The left-handed batter, who smashed a fine knock of 87 runs in the first innings having been under pressure in his short red-ball career, grabbed a terrific catch to dismiss John Campbell.

Campbell, after sweeping Ravindra Jadeja for a boundary on the first ball of his spell, went for the same shot over the square region. But the ball popped up in between the hands and the helmet of Sudharsan, who was standing at the silly leg. He jumped at the right moment to grab the ball before showing pain on the little finger as the doctor rushed into the middle.

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“Sai Sudharsan had an impact injury on Day 2 while attempting a catch. He has not taken the field today as a precautionary measure. The injury is not serious, and he is doing fine. He continues to be monitored by the BCCI Medical Team.” The Board of Control for Cricket in Indi (BCCI) provided the major update.

BCCI gives vital fitness update of Sai Sudharsan during IND vs WI 2nd Test

Sudharsan had a great time in the middle with the bat, but it will be important to see if he get the chance to bat in the second innings. India have done a great job with the ball in their first innings of bowling by taking a huge lead of nearly 300 runs with one wicket left to take. They might think of batting for one and half session before declaration.

West Indies, who showed good application with the bat, couldn’t repeat the same show against Kuldeep Yadav on the third morning. He sent back Shai Hope with the ball that the batter hoped to come straight but drifted away to hit the stumps before finding Tevin Imlach before the stumps.

Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah also bowled well in the channel to raise questions against the opponent batters. Sudharsan, regarding his finger injury, will have three weeks to get recovered before the home South Africa series.

Sai Sudharsan came into the second clash of the two-match series against the West Indies under pressure to put a huge score on the board. He was successful in overcoming the challenge on the opening day at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi as he smashed 87 runs with the help of 12 boundaries before getting dismissed to a fine ball that spun a lot off the surface.

His next job in the field for India was to do well at the first silly leg as Ravindra Jadeja was introduced into the attack. The left-handed opening batter of the opponents, John Campbell, smashed the first ball for a boundary before going for another sweep on the very next delivery. But he couldn’t believe his luck.

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He swept hard at Sudharsan, who, while trying to save him, had the ball into his hands. As he took his eyes off the ball, Sudharsan kept the fingers pointed backward, and somehow the ball glued into the middle to complete the catch and send the southpaw back into the dressing room. Campbell couldn’t believe his luck.

Watch: Sai Sudharsan grabs shocking catch to dismiss John Campbell during IND vs WI 2nd Test

When Sudharsan grabbed the catch, he didn’t react, and none of the fielders, along with the commentators, realized what exactly happened before the wicket-keeper, Dhurv Jurel, walked up to him to congratulate him. From the dressing room, the coaching group, including Morne Morkel and Gautam Gambhir, enjoyed the moment and clapped for the fielder.

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲! 🔥@imjadeja breaks the opening stand with India’s first wicket, giving #TeamIndia an early advantage. 🙌

Catch the LIVE action 👉 https://t.co/tg7ZEVlTSH#INDvWI 👉 2nd Test, Day 2 | Live Now on Star Sports & JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/60acjVZnAV

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 11, 2025

Sudharsan took a huge blow on his little finger as the doctor rushed into the middle for medical treatment. The Chennai-born went off the field and was seen putting ice on the injured place. That was the only wicket the Blue Brigade picked during the tiny period in the second session after declaring on 518 in the first innings.

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed centuries to provide them with exposure with the bat. Apart from Sudharsan’s 87, KL Rahul and Jurel also got starts with the bat as West Indies went to the tea break with 26/1.

Batting has worked out for India in this five-match series in England, but even after eight innings at Old Trafford in Manchester, they have yet to find out their number three position in the batting order. Karun Nair batted at this position four times and managed 110 runs at an average of 27.50, while Sai Sudharsan got just 61 runs in the first innings of Manchester. 

In the last three series, they used multiple options at number three, including Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Paddikal, Nair, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and many others. None of them was able to provide them the contribution they perhaps expected, like they got from Cheteshwar Pujara or Rahul Dravid in the past.

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‘For Sudharsan, it was all mental fatigue and tiredness. That’s why number three is such a tough place. Around the world, there are not many number three players who have produced consistent performances on the back day. You need to deal with a certain scenario or situation. It’s a difficult place to bat.’ Stuart Broad, the former pacer, shed light during a post-show on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Stuart Broad and Ricky Ponting analyze India’s number 3 in ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

Broad pointed out how the number three position around the world hasn’t contributed much. He reckoned that Sudharsan’s dismissal in the second innings of Manchester came only because of the mental fatigue. Ricky Ponting added a little more than that.

"Sudharsan is going to be good enough" 💪

Ricky Ponting & Stuart Broad discuss the number three batting position for India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/haiLbiOHRO

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2025

‘It just creates internal pressure a youngster doesn’t need, looking over the shoulder. That was where it surprised me. They made a call in the first Test on Sudharsan and then went back to him. I wasn’t that young when I moved up to three. But it requires a bit of reassurance from the captain and coaches about how he goes. Ben Stokes has done it to Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley and kept backing them to get the match-winning knocks.’ Ponting addressed.

India finished the fourth day with 130 runs behind and eight wickets in hand. Both Shubman Gill and KL Rahul remained unbeaten at the close and will need to stay longer in the crease for India to end the game in a draw.

England put up a solid lead after batting for almost two days in the ongoing fourth Test against India in Manchester. The hosts generated a hefty lead of 311 runs and India entered to bat in the second innings with a daunting task of overcoming the mammoth lead. But Chris Woakes had other plans as he decimitated the Indian top order in a jiffy. 

The star England pacer sent the India opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal packing for a duck and later plucked out Sai Sudharsan and the youngster to register a duck. Both the left handed batters were dismissed in a similar fashion. While Jaiswal tried to flick the ball and was caught in the first slip by Joe Root, Sudharsan could not judge the back of a length ball and handed his wicket to the second slip. 

Ben Stokes and Joe Root lay foundation for a solid lead 

With these two dismissals in two balls, Woakes was on a hat-trick and India captain Shubman Gill did well to avoid the veteran pacer a rare feat. At the end of 13 overs, India were 40/2 with Gill and KL Rahul at the crease and negotiating a win from the jaws of defeat. It would be interesting to see how the batters carry their innings and lay a solid foundation in what has become a thrilling affair at the Old Trafford. 

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Before India’s innings, England’s solid comeback happened due to impressive centuries from former England skipper Joe Root and current skipper Ben Stokes. Both the batters scored 150 and 141 respectively to bring England back in the game. India have an uphill task to overcome the deficit and generate a lead where the bowlers can defend the target. 

It’s a general preference for most batters to find their shape and rhythm on the eve of a game, irrespective of the format. They love to find their hand-eye coordination, the balance, feel of the balls, and everything right before a game. That’s regularity among most batters, apart from Sai Sudharsan, who doesn’t prefer time at the nets on the match eve for a very secret but interesting reason.

Sudharsan made his India Test debut during the opening fixture of the five-match series at Leeds and failed miserably in both innings. The left-handed batter couldn’t do much in the fixture, getting a duck in the first innings and another scratchy 20 in the second innings.

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‘Today (July 22) at Old Trafford, Shuman Gill passed him at one point and half-jokingly asked Sai, Net? Sai just smiled, but Gill wasn’t surprised. He knows the core, and he also knows if anyone can rival him for time in the nets, it’s probably Sai. Here is the back story. Sai’s parents are both athletes. His preps are intense, of yoga, meditation, a clean diet, and hours in the nets.’ A reporter, named Kaushik, of Cricbuzz expressed.

Watch: Report discloses why Sai Sudharsan doesn’t prefer batting on match eve

The 23-year-old has smashed 30 runs in the only red-ball clash, besides adding 127 runs in three innings of the ODI format. In the 51 FC innings, the southpaw has clubbed 1987 runs at an average of around 40, shouldering five centuries and seven half-centuries at the best score of 213 runs.

Why didn’t Sai Sudharsan bat in the nets ahead of the 4th Test? 🤔@kaushik_cb shares the full story & insights, right here ⏬#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/ZfXGex9MaG

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 22, 2025

‘Last year, before IPL games, he batted endlessly. But as GT’s coaches observed, with still eight overs to go, he would often be spent. They told him to scale back. It took him a year, but he made the switch. In 2025, he hit the nets hard two days before the match and batted to his heart’s content and not at all on match eve.’ The reports explained.

‘He was even given the option of staying back in the hotel. But he wanted to be around for the match-day build-up to boost spirits and spent time on the pitch. The result was 759 runs and an orange cap. Today was one of those. After spirits, he visualized even though the pitch was under covers.’ It was revealed.

As per growing reports, team India have proposed to make some radical changes to their lineup following the Headingly Test defeat. Although these reports are yet to be verified, experts foresee a plethora of changes as India look to get back to winning ways under the leadership of their newly-appointed Test skipper. The second Test will begin in a few hours' time from now at Edgbaston, Birmingham. India have reportedly never won a Test match at this venue, and these changes are put in place in a bid to put their losing streak to an end

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Here are some of the possible changes on the cards

According to reports from Express Sports, the Indian top-order batter Sai Sudharsan is likely going to be replaced by spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar. Sudharsan had a poor debut in the Headingly Test where he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and could only manage 30 in the second innings.

🚨 TEAM INDIA UPDATES. 🚨

- Washington Sundar likely to replace Sai Sudharsan. Karun Nair to bat at No.3 in the 2nd Test. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/VtFMz3yjRU

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 2, 2025

Rumor also has it that there will be changes in the lower order too. Nitish Kumar Reddy is possibly going to come in place of Shardul Thakur. The young seam-bowling all-rounder endured a stellar run with the bat in the recent BGT tour and garnered headlines for exhibiting his fighting spirit in hostile conditions. In addition, Jaspirt Bumrah may also get relieved of his duties ahead of the second Test keeping his fitness and workload in mind. If that were to happen, Akash Deep will step in as his replacement. 

Furthermore, we could see more changes such as Karun Nair being promoted up the order at No.3. While Bumrah's participation for the second Test was always a topic of debate considering his demanding workload, it remains to be seen whether the management would be inclined to revamp the batting order as discussed above in this article.

Sai Sudharsan Likely to Miss Edgbaston Test After Shoulder Injury on Debut

Young Indian batter Sai Sudharsan, who made his Test debut at Headingley last week, might not play in the next match at Edgbaston after hurting his shoulder while fielding. According to a report by RevSportz, Sudharsan is not fully fit and may need more time to recover.

His debut didn’t go too well either. In the first innings, he got out for a duck after facing just four balls. In the second innings, he managed to score 30 runs and built a 66-run stand with KL Rahul before getting out again. Both times, he was dismissed by England captain Ben Stokes.

India ended up losing the first Test by five wickets, with England chasing down 371 runs on the final day. Sudharsan looked uncomfortable with his shoulder during the last day’s play and eventually left the field. Nitish Kumar Reddy came on as a substitute and took a sharp catch to remove Ben Duckett. Sudharsan didn’t return for the rest of the game.

BCCI's PR is so strong. They will drop sai Sudharshan stating "he's injured" just because they don't get hate for dropping a debutant just after 1 bad performance https://t.co/CBGPxu6Paq

— . (@chixxreturns) June 25, 2025

A report from RevSportz said, “Sai Sudharsan is not completely fit for the next match. He had some trouble with his shoulder while fielding on the last day.” Now, the Indian team has a few options if Sudharsan is ruled out. Karun Nair, a more experienced player, could be slotted into the No. 3 position. Another option could be bringing in Nitish Kumar Reddy or choosing to strengthen the bowling attack with an extra all-rounder or bowler.

ALSO READ: WCL 2025: Pakistan Champions announced their squad for upcoming season

In the Headingley Test, India gave Sudharsan his first cap while also bringing back Karun Nair and including Shardul Thakur. Before the match, captain Shubman Gill announced that Sudharsan would bat at No. 3 a spot once made famous by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Sudharsan came in at 91/1 in the first innings but was out quickly. In the second, he walked in at 16/1 and looked more settled before falling again to Stokes. The team management had liked Sudharsan’s calm and solid batting style, which helped him earn his place in the side.

However, with this injury and competition from others, he might miss not just the Edgbaston Test but possibly the Lord’s Test as well a dream stage for any young cricketer. For now, fans will hope for a quick recovery so he doesn’t miss out on such a big opportunity.

Relay catches are very common in T20 cricket. When a fielder near the boundary line takes a catch and starts going out of the field, he throws the ball inside. Sometimes, the same fielder comes back in and catches it again. But many times, another fielder standing nearby catches the ball. When another fielder catches the thrown ball, it is called a relay catch.

This type of catch is almost never seen in Test cricket. But on the third day of the first Test match between India and England, a rare relay catch was seen — something usually seen only in T20 matches.

Right after lunch, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith got out on the bowling of Prasidh Krishna. The way his catch was taken shocked everyone. Ravindra Jadeja and Sai Sudarshan together took the catch. Even though the International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the rule about boundary catches, this one was accepted.

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How the Catch Happened

Just after lunch, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna bowled the 79th over. On the third ball of the over, Jamie Smith pulled a short ball outside the off stump. The ball went towards Ravindra Jadeja at deep square leg. Jadeja took a brilliant catch, but as he felt he might cross the boundary line, he threw the ball towards Sai Sudarshan, who was standing nearby. Sudarshan completed the catch safely. Smith scored 40 runs off 52 balls.

Some questions were raised about the catch, but the new ICC rule makes it valid. Jadeja had full control of the ball inside the boundary and released it before stepping out. Since Sudarshan caught it inside the field, the catch was given out.

Sai 🤝 Jadeja

Prasidh Kirshna ಅವರಿಂದ ಅದ್ಭುತ ಬೌಲಿಂಗ್ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನ! 🔥

📲 ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ | #ENGvIND | 1st Test | Day 3 | LIVE NOW | ನಿಮ್ಮ JioHotstar ನಲ್ಲಿ pic.twitter.com/a8uA2wKMqj

— Star Sports Kannada (@StarSportsKan) June 22, 2025

From June 17, the ICC introduced a new rule for boundary catches. As per the new rule, if a fielder jumps in the air and crosses the boundary, he can touch the ball only once. To complete the catch, he must return inside the boundary and then catch it again.

Earlier, a fielder could bounce or tap the ball multiple times in the air while outside the boundary, as long as he was not touching the ground. Also, if a player threw the ball back inside while airborne outside the boundary, the catch was valid only if that player re-entered the field before the second fielder caught it.

India missed many chances in the match. Even though Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Zak Crawley in the first over, the team dropped several important catches. Jadeja dropped Ben Duckett on 15 runs – a rare mistake – and other easy chances were missed. Duckett and Ollie Pope used those chances well and built a 122-run partnership, bringing England back into the match.

In a historic moment for Indian Test cricket, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul rewrote the history books on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley as the first visiting opening pair to survive the first 20 overs at the venue since 2012. Headingley, renowned for its vicious swing in English conditions and being more seam-friendly than most grounds in England, is one of the hardest venues for visiting teams, especially during the first hour of play. 

The Indian openers showed excellent patience and application against an English bowling attack featuring James Anderson and Mark Wood. Jaiswal defended brilliantly whilst punishing any of Anderson’s loose deliveries with ease, and Rahul refused to succumb to the pressure by playing deft cuts and leaving the ball with a calmness that allowed him to withstand Anderson and Wood's onslaught of seam, swing, and pace. Their early resistance would cut off England's momentum and send a clear message from India that they have an intent to dig in and build a platform in overcast conditions that has seen visiting teams previously fall into the trap of early dismissal.

The last time visiting teams showed this level of dedication and intent at Headingley was during 2012, when South Africa's Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen put on a decent stand. For India, not only did this opening partnership end a 13-year drought at Headingley, but it also showed their grit and preparation as they launched into their World Test Championship 2025–27 campaign.

For a first time SINCE 2012, a visiting pair has survived the first 20 overs of a Test at Headingley 🙌

FOLLOW LIVE ⏩ https://t.co/ShJazRewwb pic.twitter.com/lcdRII4z08

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 20, 2025

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India Lose Two Wickets Just Before Lunch While Good Start Was Changed

As India crossed the historic 20-over mark, they could not take all their wickets into lunch. After the first morning's play and at lunch on Day 1, India was 65/2, which is not a bad position considering the two quick wickets they lost after a good start. Yashasvi Jaiswal had a good batting order and remained somewhat composed with patience, making 42 off 74 balls on a tricky surface for batting.
However, both KL Rahul (42 off 78) and debutant Sai Sudharsan (0 off 4) fell to quick wickets five minutes before the break. Rahul opened the face, trying to guide one of the slips, and was caught behind. Sudharsan, who had immense pressure in his first innings, edged one and was caught by the wicketkeeper without scoring.
The morning session was partly a success and partly a failure, but India passing the first stage of the storm and vanquishing Headingley in their long-running curse is a significant outcome moving forward in the match.

As India walked onto the field for the first Test match of the WTC 2025-27 cycle against England on June 20, 2025, young batting sensation Sai Sudharsan earned his first Test cap—and, of course, this was not only special for Sudharsan but also for those close to him who saw this milestone coming. One of the first people to publicly congratulate him was star all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He also made Sudharsan's achievement extra special. Hardik shared an Instagram story post with Sudharsan's photo and captioned it with "Well deserved! Go well," which not only went viral but also resonated with fans as well as fellow cricketers. 

The relationship between Hardik Pandya and Sai Sudharsan is developing, especially with the time they spent together in the IPL. As a senior team member and former skipper, Hardik has mentored young talent, and Sudharsan is one of them. Pandya's congratulatory post shows not just camaraderie but personal joy in seeing a younger teammate reach such a milestone.

Instagram story of Hardik Pandya for Sai Sudharsan ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6JildyxlEN

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 20, 2025

Also read:  Former Australia skipper named as head coach for Australia A

A Historic Day in Indian Test Debuts

June 20 is not just a date in the history of Indian cricket; it is a date filled with the emergence of some of the most influential names. In 1996, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made their Test debuts at Lord’s, and both later had great careers, becoming legends of the game. Ganguly scored a century on debut, while Dravid scored a near century with a superb 95.

On June 20, 2011, Virat Kohli also made his debut, a player who led India to historic series wins and became one of the best modern-day batsmen. Along with him, Abhinav Mukund and Praveen Kumar started their Test careers.

Fast-forward to 2023, and Sai Sudharsan will continue that legacy. He will wear Test cap No. 317 and take on that legacy. He has a calm yet confident demeanor, and the way he has performed in domestic cricket demonstrates he is up to the challenge. There certainly is a lot of history with June 20 in Indian cricket! Good luck, Sai!