Former opener explains why Sai Sudharsan should bat at No. 3 in Sri Lanka Tests

Table of Contents

India are set to tour Sri Lanka in August 2026 for a high-stakes two-match Test series that could play a major role in shaping both teams’ campaigns in the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship (WTC). It will be India’s first Test series in Sri Lanka since their dominant 3-0 sweep in 2017, adding further significance to the upcoming contest.

With India currently placed fifth in the WTC standings and Sri Lanka close behind in sixth, every point from the series will be vital in the race for a place in the WTC final. Before the series begins, the Shubman Gill-led side will play a four-day warm-up fixture against a local opponent in Colombo from August 7 to 10, giving the visitors an opportunity to adapt to Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly conditions.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has already started weighing in on India’s probable batting combination for the series and believes there is no reason to alter Sai Sudharsan‘s role at No. 3.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer threw his support behind the young left-handed batter, stating that the Indian team management has already shown faith in Sai Sudharsan by promising him an extended run in the Test side.

The former opener pointed out that Sudharsan justified that confidence with encouraging performances in the recent series and deserves more opportunities to establish himself in the middle order.

“As far as Sai is concerned, all the selectors and even the captain have said that they want to give him a long rope. He also performed well in the recent series, so I believe he deserves that opportunity. He’s a good player, a solid player, and he’s only going to improve. He’s the kind of character who will just keep getting better. I think the No. 3 position suits him well,” Jaffer said.

Jaffer also highlighted that India’s top order appears settled, with captain Gill enjoying success in the No. 4 position. According to him, there is little need to experiment with the batting order when the current combination has shown promise.

“Shubman is batting at No. 4 and has been batting really well, so I don’t see the top four positions changing anytime soon,” he added.

Sudharsan has steadily emerged as one of India’s brightest batting prospects across formats. His calm temperament, compact technique, and ability to build long innings have impressed selectors, making him a strong candidate to cement the crucial No. 3 role in the Test side.

Also READ: VVS Laxman identifies key improvement area for Vaibhav Suryavanshi despite record-breaking Zimbabwe series

Although India enter the series with a talented squad, winning in Sri Lanka has never been straightforward. The slow surfaces traditionally assist spinners, while prolonged batting requires patience and sound technique against quality spin bowling. The four-day warm-up match in Colombo is expected to play an important role in helping the Indian batters adjust to the conditions before the opening Test in Galle. Players like Sudharsan will be keen to make the most of that opportunity and fine-tune their game against spin.

With Gill leading a relatively young Test side and several emerging players looking to cement their places, expectations are high for India to produce a strong performance. At the same time, Sri Lanka will look to make full use of home conditions and strengthen their own WTC campaign.

Also READ: Shreyas Iyer thanks VVS Laxman after India’s 3-0 T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe