Watch: Animated Sitanshu Kotak gives Sai Sudharsan a dressing-down for missing well-deserved century on Day 1 of 2nd Test against WI

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Watch: Animated Sitanshu Kotak gives Sai Sudharsan a dressing-down for missing well-deserved century on Day 1 of 2nd Test against WI
Watch: Animated Sitanshu Kotak gives Sai Sudharsan a dressing-down for missing well-deserved century on Day 1 of 2nd Test against WI

Story Highlights:

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was visibly upset after Sai Sudharsan failed to reach three figures in 2nd Test vs West Indies

Sai Sudharsan scored a brilliant 87, but couldn't convert it into a century

Team India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was seen having an animated discussion with Sai Sudharsan after he missed out on a century in the second Test against West Indies which got underway on October 10.

Sai Sudharsan hogs limelight with brilliant 87 in 2nd Test vs WI

The 23-year-old Tamil Nadu batter was under considerable pressure heading into this match, having previously struggled to fully justify the faith shown in him by the Gautam Gambhir-led team management. Sudharsan had been largely unimpressive in his first four Test appearances for India, failing to register significant scores. This included a disappointing return of just 7 runs in the first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, despite favorable batting conditions.

However, the batting-friendly conditions in the second Test presented another clear opportunity, and this time, Sudharsan did not waste it. He appeared determined to play a substantial innings, crafting his fifty in 87 balls and accumulating valuable runs for the team.

ALSO READ: IND vs WI: Yashasvi Jaiswal emulates Graeme Smith's World Record with majestic century in 2nd Test against West Indies

Sudharsan clearly wasn't content with just reaching his half-century and steadily progressed toward the three-figure mark. Given the way the West Indies bowlers were performing, it seemed almost certain that the batsman would convert his start into a century, but unfortunately, it was not to be.

The decisive moment came on the third ball of the 69th over when spinner Jomel Warrican delivered a sharp, spinning ball. The delivery beat Sai Sudharsan's inside edge and struck him on the back leg. The West Indies players appealed, and the on-field umpire instantly raised his finger. A reluctant Sudharsan opted for a review, but the ball-tracking technology confirmed that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps, leaving him no option but to accept the decision.

Watch Sitanshu Kotak's fiery reaction after Sudharsan misses shot at century:

A visibly disappointed Sai Sudharsan walked back to the pavilion after a solid knock of 87 runs off 165 balls, which included 12 fours. He was then spotted on the balcony having an animated and lengthy chat with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who was seemingly highlighting the error that led to the Tamil Nadu batter's dismissal.

After the conclusion of Day 1's play, Sudharsan admitted he was only looking to play freely rather than thinking much about scoring runs.

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"It was a good contribution, good partnership between me and Jaiswal. Hopefully, we'll have longer partnerships and get a big score. Definitely, I wasn't thinking about getting runs, so I was a bit more free, expressed myself, took time rather than rushing things. I didn't try to make things happen. Grateful for whatever I've done, but there's always something in the mind to make a lot more, happy with the runs, but would want to make more. Exciting to watch him bat from the other end, he converts good balls into boundary balls, that's so good to see," Sudharsan told broadcasters.

Talking about the match, India were well placed at 318/2 by the end of Day 1, thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 173.