Sai Sudharsan, who made his red-ball debut for India in the first Test vs England at Leeds, stunned fans and commentators with an unusual pre-batting ritual that combined mental imagery, meditation, and notebook journaling — reminiscent of Rahul Dravid’s famous preparation style.
Captured on Camera: A Calm Before the Crease
Before walking out to bat in the second innings at No. 3, Sudharsan was caught on camera:
- Holding the red ball and visually mapping the pitch in his mind.
- Closing his eyes in deep meditation near the boundary ropes.
- Writing notes in a small diary, channeling Dravid’s habit of scoring the game in his own personal system.
Fans and pundits quickly drew comparisons with Dravid, who was known to keep a personal scorebook to review his performances in fine detail. It was part of his deep analytical approach to the game — and it seems Sudharsan is taking a similar route to mental preparedness.
Redemption After a Debut Duck
After falling for a 4-ball duck in the first innings (dismissed by Ben Stokes), Sudharsan showed more grit in the second innings, scoring:
- 30 runs off 48 balls
- Featuring 5 crisp boundaries
- Before falling once again to Ben Stokes, who seems to have a mental edge over the debutant.
Despite the dismissal, Sudharsan’s knock helped India build a second-innings lead, steadying the ship after the early wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal (4).
Leeds Test Day 3 Summary
- Harry Brook (99) missed his century, dismissed by Prasidh Krishna.
- Jasprit Bumrah (5/83) produced another fast-bowling masterclass.
- India ended Day 3 at 90/2, leading by 96 runs.
- KL Rahul (47)* and Shubman Gill (6)* will resume on Day 4.
What They Said
Ollie Pope on KL Rahul’s wicket:
“He will be an important wicket for us. Don’t want to put a number on the chase, but beat the infield and it’s four.”
Final Take
With his introspective methods and commitment to growth, Sai Sudharsan has already made an impression — not just with the bat, but with his mindset. His ability to bounce back after a duck shows a level of maturity rare in debutants, and if his notebook is anything like Dravid’s, he’s definitely writing his way into India’s future.
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