It was clear that we were in England to create history: Sai Sudharsan

The Hindu

a day ago

Tamil Nadu batter B. Sai Sudharsan recently made his Test debut against England. The 23-year-old showed good promise in tackling challenging conditions, even if the returns were middling. Earlier this year, he had a breakthrough performance in the IPL, finishing as the top scorer with 759 runs.
In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, the left-handed batter spoke about the exciting Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the thrilling climax at The Oval where India won by six runs on the final morning to level the series (2-2), and much more. Excerpts:
You have now played for India in all three formats. How was the feeling of making your Test debut?
To be honest, the Test (debut) feeling was completely different. Yes, the white ball (debuts) were also very prestigious. But compared to those two debut games, when I was standing for the national anthem, it felt really special. And especially playing in England, a place I like, and I have played before... growing up, everyone used to say Test cricket is the ultimate, and I finally experienced it. It gives you that unbelievable feeling, or complete fulfilment, or satisfaction once the game finishes.
It was an exciting series, with every match going to the last day...
Shubman had recently said that 'this is not a young team but a gun team'. It was not just a punchline, and the thought process behind that was that everybody has come here doing so many good things, or is capable of doing a lot of good things.
Right from the first team meeting, it was clear that we are here to create history. It would have been easy to say this is a young team, and we are here to learn. But the thought process when we entered the series was not that we were coming in like a new team, but that we had come here to dominate and win the series.
Talk us through that exciting fifth Test at The Oval, especially when Joe Root and Harry Brook had a partnership going on the fourth day?
We had our disappointments. We can see that they are playing well and they are coming closer to the target, and we had our moments. But that's the essence of Test cricket. We had done well on day one. On day two, we fought back, taking wickets. On day three, Washi (Washington Sundar) played a tremendous knock to give us a good finish. On day four, they had the best batting conditions. But we knew it was a matter of one wicket, which would open up the game.
The way Brook was batting, we knew we would get a chance with him taking so many risks. They were England's best pair. They had good batters left, but they might not provide the same control these two did. So if we get one or two wickets, runs will dry up, it will be game-changing, and that's what happened. Akash Deep, Prasidh (Krishna) and (Mohammed) Siraj, playing in a wicket like that with just three fast bowlers, bowled their heart out in two innings. I could see on day four they were tired, but they kept on pushing, and because of their effort, we (stayed in the game) and got the rain break. So the bowlers were fresh the next morning.
Wearing the India jersey in a Test series at England… it's a feeling I will never forget. Every moment, every session taught me something new. This win is special 🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/xjtXtEkD7v — Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) August 4, 2025
How would you rate your performance?
There are so many things to reflect on, so many improvements to make. Even if we have a great season, we will have areas for improvement. But if it is just an ok series like this, there are a lot of points to work on, whether it's the mindset or even from a run-making point of view.
Were there any regrets in not converting those starts?
Definitely, it was disappointing not to convert after getting those starts, and I should have made a big knock. It was one of the most significant learnings. Having got through the difficult phase, in India, you could open up and be aggressive. But, in England, you have to keep it tight and do what you did in the first hour. These are things I want to learn and structure my batting around.
Another thing is to ensure you never miss an opportunity to score off a bad ball to put the pressure back on the bowler. There are layers to it, depending on the pitch and the kind of scoring options you have. So that idea and approach towards the innings, I want to improve on.
You were dropped after the first Test. Were you concerned you might not get another chance?
I was not thinking about it because Shubman (Gill) and all the support staff spoke to me and explained why I didn't play. They told it's not about what you did or what you can do. It's about the combination. Even before the first game, GG sir spoke to me for 5-10 minutes saying, 'you have reached here and you can win games for India as well. And you will get a long rope.' When you are playing away from India, it is sometimes difficult to get in the extra time (in nets). But the support staff helped me a lot with (Sitanshu) Kotak sir allowing me to leave early and train with the side-armers. Tendo (Ryan ten Doeschate) came with me every morning to have an overview of the session. These small things, I think, will make a big difference.
What do you think Sai Sudharsan is writing down on the paper?
📸: JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/9iXiE0zQJQ — Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 22, 2025
How important is that for you to spend quality time in the nets in terms of volume?
Definitely, it is very crucial. It is all about repetition and familiarity. The more familiar I am with my batting and the conditions and movement of the ball, off the wicket, the more I bat, more the understanding and confidence I get.
What are the technical adjustments you feel you can make to get better?
There are a few things that I can improve on, like tracking the ball well and even timing the ball better. Those things will help me to be in a better position when the ball is swinging or seaming. I need to become more refined in these areas, which will help me face any difficult situation I may face in the future.
Last year, you had surgery that kept you out for a few months, and then you bounced back strongly in the IPL, finishing as the highest run-getter. How would you assess yourself and the phase of your career?
Sometimes it becomes a blessing in disguise because you get some time to prepare your body. So in those days, I felt blessed because I had that time before the IPL started. I worked well. There are so many small things which we can't focus on because we are playing regularly. I was able to address those things because I had time.
I started preparing for the IPL as early as December, which helped me. It creates a structure for the next 10-15 years, and because I have a base or a structure, I can continue to build on that. There were some tough times, but coming out of that and having a good series in IPL and going to play in the Test cricket in England was special.
Where do you feel you have improved in the last six months or so?
To be honest, over a period of time, I don't feel there is a big difference in terms of my game. However, I think that my belief system and the clarity about what I want to do have become better. I feel that it is helping me express myself more freely.