Sai and the fight for a spot in the playing XI

There are many who after watching India decimate West Indies in the first Test at Ahmedabad wondered whether this series had any real value for the players or the spectators. To be fair, it isn't much of a challenge for the established professionals but there is always the idea of good form that every player chases.

- Ashish Magotra

Skipper Shubman Gill watches Sai Sudharsan bat at the nets ahead of the second Test against West Indies.

(Sanchit Khanna/HT)

However, for those youngsters looking to reserve their spot in the lineup for a while at least, the West Indies series is godsend. With the visitors missing two of their best pacers (Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph), the batters have the opportunity to go for hundreds, as Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja did in Ahmedabad.

The wicket-keeper was making the most of the opportunity he got as Rishabh Pant recovers from his foot fracture. His 125 in the first Test bore such a stamp of class that some felt he might be good enough to hold his place in the eleven as a batter alone even after Pant is back.

That is good news for Jurel but not so good for someone like Sai Sudharsan, who has the backing of the team management but not enough runs to show for it. In four Tests, the 23-year-old left-hander has scored 147 runs at an average of 21.00.