IND vs ENG: Sai Sudharsan falls for a duck on Test debut as England strike back after India's strong start
Sai Sudharsan (Video grab)
NEW DELHI: Hype met heartbreak for Sai Sudharsan on Friday as the highly-rated youngster endured a nightmare start to his Test career, falling for a duck in his debut innings against England in the first Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy series at Headingley.
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India vs England, 1st Test Day 1
The 23-year-old left-hander, handed India Test Cap No. 317 by Cheteshwar Pujara before the toss, walked in at No. 3 - a position steeped in Indian cricketing history - but managed to last just four balls before edging a delivery from Ben Stokes to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
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Sudharsan came to the crease after KL Rahul (42) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (42 not out) had put together a promising 91-run opening stand.
He survived a close LBW call off the first ball he faced from Brydon Carse, but looked tentative throughout his brief stay.
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Stokes, attacking with purpose, probed him in the following over, and finally drew the edge that sent Sudharsan back for a duck - an inauspicious start to what has been an otherwise sparkling rise through the ranks. India went into lunch on 92/2 on Day 1.
Shubman's Big Test Begins! India's Probable XI & Stokes' Mind Games | ENG vs IND 1st Test Preview
Sudharsan's debut came on a date etched in Indian Test folklore - June 20, the same day Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly debuted in 1996, and Virat Kohli in 2011. Expectations were high for the Tamil Nadu batter, who topped the IPL 2025 run charts and had been earmarked as a pillar of India's new era in red-ball cricket.
His early dismissal, however, serves as a reminder of the brutal challenges of Test cricket - particularly in English conditions.
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