Sai Sudharsan: The Weight of India's No. 3 Position Proves Too Heavy

Young batter's continued struggles against South Africa raise questions about India's approach to cricket's most demanding batting spot

Guwahati, November 26, 2025 — When Sai Sudharsan walked to the crease on Day 5 of the second Test against South Africa, the 24-year-old carried more than just his bat. He shouldered the weight of India's most troublesome position, a spot that has become a revolving door since Cheteshwar Pujara's departure.

His dismissal—caught off Simon Harmer for just 14 runs after facing 139 excruciating deliveries—tells a story bigger than one innings, bigger than one player. It's about the crushing expectations placed on emerging talent and the haunting question: Who can fill the shoes of India's Test cricket legends?

A Pattern Emerges in Guwahati's Shadow

The left-hander from Tamil Nadu entered the match with promise. After scoring 87 in his last Test against the West Indies, many believed he was finding his rhythm. According to ESPNcricinfo, India faced a daunting task of chasing 549 runs, with the hosts reeling at 27 for 2 at the close of Day 4.

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel didn't mince words when analyzing Sudharsan's technique. Speaking on Star Sports, he noted that the batter's narrow stance makes keeping shots down on the leg side particularly challenging—a technical flaw that has resulted in multiple dismissals.

"He has gotten out a lot on the leg side. It's a small Test career, but in that also, we have seen him getting out three or four times on the leg side while playing in the air. So he will definitely have to pay attention to that," Patel observed.

The No. 3 Curse: More Than Just Bad Luck

Sudharsan's individual struggles mirror a systemic crisis. Since January 2020, Indian batters at No. 3 have averaged just 30 in Test cricket—a statistic that The Week reports ranks fourth-worst globally, ahead of only Ireland, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies.

In ten Test innings at the position, Sudharsan has managed 288 runs at an average of 28.80, with only two half-centuries to his name. Compare that to the legacies he's meant to uphold: Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara both recorded five and four fifty-plus scores, respectively, in their first ten innings at No. 3.

Veteran cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has urged patience. He believes both Sudharsan and Washington Sundar deserve extended runs in their positions. "If the team management is looking at Sai at No. 3 for a long duration, then he should be given the long rope," Rahane stated, emphasizing that playing at No. 3 requires entirely different skills than lower-order positions.

When the IPL Spark Doesn't Translate

The paradox of Sudharsan's career makes his Test struggles even more perplexing. In the 2025 IPL season, the Gujarat Titans star won the Orange Cap award, amassing a remarkable 759 runs with six half-centuries and one century at an average of 54.21. He became the youngest player ever to win the award and the youngest to cross 700 runs in a single IPL season.

That aggressive, fearless stroke-maker seems worlds away from the tentative figure battling spin and bounce in Guwahati. Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara suggested Sudharsan could have trusted the bounce more and played over the top of fielders rather than trying to keep the ball down—advice that speaks to a deeper confidence issue plaguing the young batter in the longest format.

The Management's Dilemma

India's team management faces an uncomfortable truth: their investment in Sudharsan isn't yielding dividends. After being dropped for the first Test against South Africa despite his 87 against the West Indies, his recall for the Guwahati Test was meant to be his redemption arc.

Instead, it became another chapter in a troubling narrative. Cricket analysts across social media platforms expressed frustration, with many questioning whether favoritism was clouding selection decisions. Sarfaraz Khan's superior first-class record—4,863 runs at an average of 63.15—makes for uncomfortable reading when placed alongside Sudharsan's 2,562 runs at 39.41.

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has called for consistency. "I think it is very important that if you are invested in a young player like Sai Sudharsan, you give him ample opportunity to showcase his talent," Karim said. "Once you have that kind of trust in a player, it offers him more liberty to play with greater freedom."

A Moment of Brilliance Amidst the Struggle

Not everything has been bleak for Sudharsan in this series. On Day 4, with India facing an uphill battle, the left-hander displayed remarkable awareness when he saved his wicket with a well-timed swipe, pushing the ball away from the stumps just as it threatened to bounce back onto them—the kind of instinctive play that hints at the talent lurking beneath the struggles.

But moments of brilliance cannot mask patterns of failure. With India's next Test not scheduled until mid-2026, Sudharsan faces a long wait to prove himself again at the international level—or he may not get that chance at all.

The Road Ahead: Redemption or Replacement?

As South Africa closed in on a historic series victory—their first in India in 25 years—the question looms: Is Sudharsan the answer to India's No. 3 problem, or is he another promising player crushed by its weight?

The statistics suggest a player out of his depth. The IPL numbers suggest immense talent. The truth, as always in cricket, likely lies somewhere in between—in the mental game, in technique under pressure, in the enormous gap between dominating domestic bowling and surviving world-class attacks on turning pitches.

"This team lacks the most basic requirement of what a test team needs: grit to play," one fan wrote during the match, capturing the frustration of a nation watching yet another home series slip away.

For Sai Sudharsan, the journey is far from over. But time, once a friend for emerging players, is beginning to run out. The No. 3 position demands not just talent, but temperament. Not just strokes, but steel. And right now, watching him battle against Simon Harmer's guile, you can't help but wonder if the burden India has placed on his young shoulders is simply too heavy to bear.

As the shadows lengthened over Barsapara Stadium and South Africa edged closer to victory, one thing became clear: India's search for the next great No. 3 continues. Whether Sudharsan gets the rope Rahane suggests, or whether the selectors lose patience, will define not just his career but potentially the next phase of Indian Test cricket.

Sometimes in cricket, as in life, promise isn't enough. Performance is what matters. And at No. 3 for India, the difference between those two things has never felt wider.