Sai Sudharsan was dismissed by Roston Chase in India's first innings.
In reply to the West Indies’ 162 runs in the first innings, Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (36) and KL Rahul added 68 runs for the first wicket. After Jaiswal was dismissed by Jayden Seales, Sai Sudharsan joined KL Rahul in the middle.
Much was expected from Sudharsan, but his stay remained a brief one as he made 7 runs in 19 balls before falling LBW to Roston Chase.
Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel spoke on Sudharsan’s struggles.
"Sai Sudharsan looked a bit tentative today. He usually uses his feet really well, especially against left-arm spinners. With left-handed batters, we know that as soon as a left-arm spinner comes in, we try to rotate the strike and wait for the right ball to go after. But I thought Sai Sudharsan was probably feeling a bit of pressure to score big runs and secure that number three position. He just needs to stay calm,” Patel said on JioHotstar.
On the other hand, KL Rahul went on to score his 11th Test ton, making 100 from 190 balls with 12 fours. Patel praised Rahul for his calm and maturity.
"KL Rahul was outstanding today; he carried on his form from the England tour. Before that series, there were concerns about his form, but I thought he took responsibility really well. It's very important when a team is going through a transition that your senior players step up, and that's exactly what KL Rahul did in England. Today, as well, he played the situation really well. The West Indies opening bowling pair was disciplined, and KL gave them the respect they deserved. He gave himself that time to settle, and once he was set, we saw him using his feet and rotating the strike,” he added.
Parthiv added that Rahul looks more assured than ever.
"He looks much more in control and settled now. I think that hundred against Australia A also gave him a lot of confidence, because when you head into a Test series after scoring so many runs, it makes a difference. It's been an outstanding year for K.L. Rahul, his second-best after 2017. I think he will surpass that record this year because he is looking in very good shape,” he added.
The discussion also touched upon Jasprit Bumrah's bowling legacy. Parthiv praised his yorkers.
He said, "We've seen Jasprit Bumrah nailing those yorkers to perfection. He has that unique ability. It's tough to play such deliveries. How many times have we seen him bowl those yorkers since 2013? For the last 12 years, I've been saying that no one can deliver yorkers like Bumrah, and he keeps doing it again and again."
(IANS inputs)