Sai Sudharsan shows promise, but needs to solve his leg-side Achilles heel

India Today

3 days ago

We all know the story of the mighty Achilles. The Greek mythology character was known as one of the bravest and strongest warriors, seemingly unstoppable and without weaknesses. As the story goes, his mother, Thetis, decided to make Achilles immortal by dipping him in the River Styx. However, she held him by the heel, leaving that one spot vulnerable.This, eventually, became his downfall. Paris, guided by Apollo, struck an arrow to his heel and ended the life of the invincible warrior.advertisementNow, when you look at how Sai Sudharsan has burst onto the Indian cricket scene, there seem to be some parallels with that of a brave warrior. Despite not having the most impressive first-class record — 1987 runs from 30 matches — it was in the IPL that the Tamil Nadu batter made a name for himself. Not known to be a big-hitter or slogger, the 23-year-old relied on timing and elegant strokeplay to make his mark.
The IPL 2025 season showcased the best of Sudharsan, as he amassed 759 runs in 15 matches and walked away with the Orange Cap. Before this, he impressed on the India A tour to Australia, scoring a hundred in one of the unofficial Tests — triggering louder calls for his inclusion in the Test team.Also Read: Manchester Test: India's gritty start undone after nasty injury to Rishabh PantThen came the moment Sudharsan and everyone had been waiting for. He was brought in as the new No.3 for India in the Headingley Test. And in the most anti-climactic fashion, the southpaw was dismissed for a duck in his first-ever Test innings. It wasn't an unplayable delivery — just a harmless ball down the leg side, which he nicked.While he managed 30 in the second innings, the Tamil Nadu batter was dropped and had to wait until the Manchester Test for another chance. England, however, had found a plan — they kept targeting him with short-pitched deliveries and balls down the leg side, which seemed to bring about his downfall.IND vs ENG, 4th Test: Day 1 UpdatesFor someone of Sudharsan's immense talent, this appears to be his Achilles heel — a weakness that he must address. The youngster himself spoke about it after the day's play and, with a smile, admitted:"The honest answer would be I didn't know how I edged it down the leg. But yeah, this England team, we know they are trying to do it quite often to a lot of batters and probably even this side as well. Even wide outside, they give a half-volley to make us drive, or down the leg, they will try to make us commit a mistake."advertisement"I was a bit aware when coming into this game, but it helped," said Sudharsan.That said, this takes nothing away from the innings the 23-year-old played. He produced a sublime knock full of elegant moments and exquisite shots. His 61 off 151 balls was a masterclass and a reminder of why he belongs at this level.But once again, it was one pull shot too many that led to his dismissal — Ben Stokes got the better of him.So what does Sudharsan need to do?Curb your natural tendencyTest cricket often demands restraint — unless you're Rishabh Pant, most players need to hold back and play each ball on merit. Sudharsan is naturally an attacking player, though his calm demeanour might mask that instinct.But so far in his Test dismissals, Sudharsan has looked a little too eager to get runs, resulting in soft dismissals. Cheteshwar Pujara, speaking to broadcasters, pointed out how the pull shot seems like a compulsory stroke for Sudharsan — something he'll need to resist, especially in overseas conditions.advertisement"So, a negative part is that he plays that full shot compulsorily sometimes. I mean, he has been leaving the ball, he will have to realise that, in overseas conditions, that's a risky shot. It's his scoring opportunity, but when to play and when not to play. Look at the situation the team is in, and that's when you make that decision. It is an instinctive shot, but sometimes you need to curb your instincts, and he has been able to do that. So there are more positives for him because he has got runs now, he has been defending well, and he has been leaving the ball well. So there are more positives when you spend enough time at the crease.""This is the shot which we has to work a bit more because England team is quite used to using that strategy of short pitch deliveries and that's where he will have to improve. He realised that he shouldn't have done that. He should have been under a bit more control, and that's the shot which you can't control all the time. So when do you play that and when you don't need to, that's, that is something that you have to learn," said Pujara.BREAKTHROUGH!Sai Sudharsan attempts to pull Ben Stokes but is cramped for room and top-edges to Brydon Carse at long leg.235-4 pic.twitter.com/lyiAcbxn6O— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 23, 2025advertisementSudharsan Shows PromiseAs mentioned earlier, despite this one flaw, Sudharsan has immense promise. Pujara noted how well he left the ball and how calm and composed he looked at the crease — all good signs for someone batting at No.3 for India.He was especially impressed by the way Sudharsan handled pressure — a critical trait for a long-term Test batter."I've seen him in first-class cricket. That's how he bats. He is an attacking player, but today he was taking the right balls to hit. He runs well within the wicket. That is a big positive for him, but the way he drives, the way he plays his shots, which was very impressive to see.""But at the same time handling that pressure because when you just played one Test match and then you are getting an opportunity to bat again in English conditions, that's the toughest time. Because even if you are playing on a flat pitch, and he wasn't playing on a flat pitch, but even if you're playing on a flat pitch, then that pressure is always building on you. But he has shown that he can handle the pressure. He can stay composed and he was batting like how he bats in first-class cricket. That's a big positive," said Pujara.So, for Sudharsan, the talent and skill are there for everyone to see. The only concern is that small flaw — the figurative Achilles heel. One that must be corrected quickly, before oppositions start aiming for it every single time.- EndsMust Watch