Why did Sai Sudharsan miss first SL vs IND Test?

Sai Sudharsan’s absence opened door for Devdutt Padikkal to bat at No. 3.

The Test match between Sri Lanka and India is currently underway at the Galle International Stadium, Galle. India won the toss and elected to bat first in their 600th Test match. This is also the 50th Test match being hosted by the Galle International Stadium, making it the venue to host the most Test matches among Asian venues.

India had a few changes, as Devdutt Padikkal, who looked in sublime touch in the warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI, was included in the team and batted at three.

Many fans are wondering why Sai Sudharsan, who performed really well in the last Test against Afghanistan and also looked in great touch during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka, where he had scores of 132, 7, 168 and 25, didn’t make it into the playing XI of the Indian team.

The 24-year-old left-handed batter was earlier included in the Indian squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka. On that note, let’s have a look at the reason behind Sai Sudharsan not playing the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Sai Sudharsan’s toe injury rules him out of the Sri Lanka Test series

Sai Sudharsan was named in the initial 15-man squad for the Sri Lanka Test series along with Jasprit Bumrah, but both of them were later ruled out of the series because of injuries. Sudharsan suffered a toe stress fracture recently, and even though the team management expected him to be fit before the start of the Test series, he could not recover in time as he was unable to sprint at full pace.

He was seen at the BCCI Centre of Excellence just after the India A tour of Sri Lanka, and he was later deemed unfit for the series against Sri Lanka. Sudharsan will be missed by the Indian team, but it is also an opportunity for Devdutt Padikkal, who has scored a lot of runs in the domestic circuit over the years and has earned his place in the team after scoring a brilliant century in the recent warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI.

This Test series is important for the Indian team, as they have to be in the top two of the WTC points table to qualify for the WTC Final. However, they are currently fifth in the points table, and they need to win the majority of their remaining matches to strengthen their chances.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.