Sai Sudharsan gets to his eighth FC hundred: Details
What's the story
Sai Sudharsan scored a patient century to keep India A in the hunt for a daunting 412-run target against Australia A in the second unofficial Test in Lucknow. The left-handed batsman reached his hundred off 170 balls, hitting nine fours and a six along the way. This was his eighth First-Class century and came just a day after he was named in India's Test squad for the upcoming West Indies series. Here are further details.
First innings contribution
Sudharsan's back-to-back contributions
In the first innings, Sudharsan was India A's top scorer with a fluent 75. His performance had prevented an early collapse and has been instrumental in keeping India A afloat in this match. The left-hander's back-to-back contributions have highlighted both his form and temperament at a crucial juncture of his career. Sudharsan powered the run chase alongside fellow centurion KL Rahul as India A were well placed at 267/4 at the time of his dismissal.
Career
Third successive score of 70-plus
Sudharsan fell to Corey Rocchiccioli right after getting his hundred. He made 100 off 172 balls, a knock laced with nine fours and a six. This was his third successive 70-plus score as the southpaw had hit 73 in the opening game besides the 75 in India's first innings of the ongoing affair. This was his eighth hundred in First-Class cricket as he also boasts eight fifties, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Numbers
An average of 38-plus in FC cricket
The Tamil Nadu batter has now raced to 2,345 runs across 34 games at an average of 38-plus. Notably, Sudharsan made his debut this year during the Leeds Test against England and has since played six innings, with scores of 0, 30, 61, 0, 38, and 11. He batted at number three in all these games and showcased remarkable promise against the moving Dukes ball. The youngster now aims to make a mark in the West Indies Test series.