2nd Test: We want to bat as long as possible and get the best total, says Sudharsan

New Delhi, Oct 10 India batter Sai Sudharsan said the team would like to bat as long as possible to post a mighty total against the West Indies in the ongoing second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten 173 marathon knock, coupled with Sudharsan’s 87, steered India to 318/2 at stumps on the opening day. With a monumental total in mind, Sudharsan shared that India would look to bat once in the match and post a huge first innings total to bring the visitors bat twice -- the template that won the first Test for the home side in Ahmedabad.

“Ideally, we would like to bat just once; we want to bat as long as possible and get the best total we can. We don’t have a specific number in mind, but the goal is to make the West Indies bat twice,” he said on JioHotstar.

Sharing his thoughts on his calm approach and batting mindset, Sudharsan added he was entirely focused on extending his innings.

“I was not thinking about the pressure or the magnitude of the game. I was coming off a good India A series, so my focus was only on how I could make the innings better. I tried not to think about anything else, just to stay as calm as possible and not get caught up in the occasion. It was a very composed innings for me. Before the game, I had decided to take a bit more time and let things happen naturally, rather than forcing them. That was the main thought running through my mind. And obviously, batting alongside Jaiswal was fantastic, the way he creates boundaries even off good deliveries is so fascinating to watch from the other end.”

On Shubman Gill’s impact on him, Sudharsan said, “The role clarity was definitely there from Shubman, and what I admire most about him is his belief, the belief to come back stronger, to convert starts into big hundreds, and to make the team win. When you see him up close, you realise how much conviction he plays with. I feel that’s something I should learn from him, that self-belief is such an important quality to have.”

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