Sai Sudharsan’s backfoot game is unique, says coach Kotak

Just before B. Sai Sudharsan took guard in the 18th over of India’s first innings against West Indies on Friday, he had witnessed left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican produce a ripper that turned sharply past K.L. Rahul’s bat. It could have heightened the nerves of a left-hand batter who is looking to find his groove at the Test level.

But over the course of his partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal on day one, the 23-year-old stepped up with a timely contribution of 87 while consuming 165 deliveries. The highlight of his effort was the punches on the back foot against spin that he drilled into the gaps through extra cover and mid-on.

At the end of the day, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak complimented Sai Sudharsan’s skills against spin.

“He comes from Tamil Nadu, where they play a lot on turning wickets. So, he’s pretty good against spin. Not many do his back-foot game and some shots that he plays. With his bat swing, the amount of power he generates on the back foot is amazing. On a turning track, he is a very good player,” Kotak said.

However, his dismissal on 87 by Warrican also highlighted why he may need to be more selective with his back-foot play. Just like in Ahmedabad, he was trapped leg-before to a delivery that he could have moved forward to. “For a lot of balls that he negotiates on the back foot, others would go forward. Some of the full balls, sometimes he plays back. We’re trying to cut that out. He very much knows that, and he is trying.”