Will Sai Sudharsan regain fitness for Sri Lanka Test series?
What's the story
Indian batting sensation Sai Sudharsan has not joined the national team in Sri Lanka, as per Sportstar. Instead, he is continuing his rehabilitation at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The left-handed batsman is likely to start batting at full intensity later this week under close observation by medical staff. Meanwhile, the two-match series gets underway on August 15.
Return prospects
Optimism surrounds Sudharsan's return
The Indian team management is optimistic about Sudharsan's return.
If all goes well, he could be cleared to join the squad in Sri Lanka for a three-day practice game later this week.
Sources at CoE say that instead of rushing his return, they are focusing on making sure he completes the last stages of rehabilitation and is fully match-ready before facing Test cricket challenges.
Fitness assessment
Final fitness test for Sudharsan
The upcoming practice fixture will be crucial in determining Sudharsan's fitness.
If he completes the batting sessions at CoE without any issues, the management will likely clear him for travel and use this game as a final fitness test ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
This cautious approach highlights India's long-term plans for the talented left-hander in their Test setup.
Significance
Sudharsan is important to India's plans
Sudharsan's potential unavailability can be a massive dent to India's plans as he has been the team's designated number-three batter over the last few games.
He has scored 383 runs across seven Tests (12 innings) at an average of 31.91, as per Cricinfo. This includes three fifties.
Moreover, he was on a roll in the recent unofficial Test against hosts Sri Lanka A, hammering centuries in both games.