The Sai Sudharsan hacks for SA: learning to read pitches in county cricket, facing tennis balls to counter bounce | Cricket News

Just a few hours after landing in Johannesburg the previous Friday, Sai Sudharsan got down to what he loves the most after batting – running. It has become an uncompromising aspect of his fitness drills, inspired Virat Kohli and put in place his mother Usha Bharadwaj.For the past 12 months, even his career symbolises his favourite drill, where he is crossing each and every small milestone, with the ultimate dream of wearing the India cap closer than ever. With Ruturaj Gaikwad being the lone other opener in the side, there is a strong chance the left-hander gets to wear the India cap when they face South Africa in the first ODI at the Wanderers on Sunday.
Having received the surprise call-up during the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, Sudharsan wasted no time in preparing for conditions in South Africa. For a country which has traditionally been the most challenging for Indian batsmen thanks to the bounce on offer, Sudharsan has been spending the last few weeks, using tennis balls to get used to it.

High Spirits in a High Magnitude Game! 🙌🏻💯
🎦 @StarSportsTamil @FanCode#IndvsPak #EmergingAsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/YiSWHirA6a
— Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) July 20, 2023
“During the IPL, I was introduced to the tennis racquet training, which has now become my favourite drill at the nets,” Sudharsan told the Indian Express. “Whenever I get an opportunity, I don’t miss it because it helps me in improving my reaction time. When you practice it for weeks, it helps a big deal in playing the bounce, because you are playing it from 16-18 yards. One thing I’ve noticed is, it has improved my reaction time a lot because when you go from domestic to international, you face quicker bowlers. And when you are starting off with tennis ball, it helps in getting the fear out of the way as well because you won’t get hurt. And then when you face the cricket ball, the instincts take over,” he says.
Ahead of the ODI series, that he got to play the first unofficial Test against South Africa A, helped him a bit to get acclimatised to the conditions. In his break-through IPL season this year for Gujarat Titans, where he scored an eye-catching 96 in the final against Chennai Super Kings, Sudharsan spent lot of time improving his batting, especially square of off-side, which he believes would help him in South Africa. “When you are playing really quick fast bowlers, it is important to learn how to use pace. You don’t need to use power all the time. I see it as evolving because, as a batsman you need to be multi-faceted in terms of how you play in different conditions,” Sudharsan says.
With India not short on options when it comes to the opening slot, Sudharsan knows, opportunities like this won’t come often. While the IPL came after his first full domestic season, Sudharsan has also been climbing the ladder rapidly. A Duleep Trophy call-up was followed a white-ball leg tour to Sri Lanka with India A. And then came a two-match stint with Surrey in the County circuit before he returned home for the Duleep Trophy. And now the call-up to the India team is another box ticked for the southpaw, who has managed to put behind the disappointment of missing the Under-19 World Cup cut in 2020.

🏏🧘 pic.twitter.com/ll88nVkqtC
— Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) December 15, 2023
“There are lot of openers going around and there is lot of competition and it not easy to get an opportunity. Thanks to our domestic and India A set-up, it has given me lot of exposure when it comes to playing in different pitches and conditions. Even in this Vijay Hazare Trophy, we played on unusual pitches, which tested you as an opener. It was ideal in terms of adapting. It is important you keep your eyes open and learn. I don’t try to copy others. But what I do is, watch them and understand what is making it work for them….like taking on the bowlers in challenging conditions and how to dominate them to get out of a tight situation,” Sudharsan adds.
Surrey stint
Reading the conditions and situation is something that former England batsman Alec Stewart harped on, during his stint with Surrey, where he is the director of cricket. While it is unusual for County teams to hand a professional contract to those without an international cap, Sudharsan was an exception with former England batsman Vikram Solanki, who is with Gujarat Titans, helping him strike a deal.

Truly Grateful for the incredible journey with @surreycricket . It was a surreal feeling winning the County Championship in my debut season. 🏆
Had a great time representing this amazing club. Looking forward to creating some more memories in the coming years! 🤝🏻#countycricket… pic.twitter.com/oIcW3nDiDX
— Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) October 6, 2023
“At Surrey, they gave me a lot of freedom. Usually as a professional there is lot of pressure on you to score runs. But Stewart was very accommodative and understood where I stand in my career. He just told me to look at it as an opportunity to understand the conditions. He spent a lot of time in teaching me how to read the pitches, which was an eye-opener for me. As an opener, it makes a difference because you are the one who sets the tone and when you read it well, it helps the team as well,” Sudharsan says.