“Hopefully we can give him a longish run” - Ajit Agarkar’s massive statement on young batter ahead of IND vs WI 2025 Tests

India men’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar has expressed hope of giving young batter Sai Sudharsan a long run at the No. 3 spot in Test cricket. Agarkar’s statement came on Thursday, September 25, as he announced India’s 15-member squad for the two-match Test series against the West Indies, starting October 2 in Ahmedabad.

During the press conference, Ajit Agarkar was asked about the No. 3 conundrum, with players like Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, and Sai Sudharsan having featured over the past 12 months. Speaking on the matter, Ajit Agarkar said:

“Eventually, it's a little bit about continuity. I mean, I think changes at number three happened because of the combination that we played. We played an extra all-rounder down the order, and that's how we changed the combination. Then Nitish Reddy came into the picture in a couple of the Tests."

"So that just depends on what the captain and the coach at that point want and what balance they want to achieve. But as far as going forward is concerned, I mean, Sai has shown a lot of promise. We know he's a very good player, and hopefully we can give him a longish run from now on at a particular number," he added.

Sai Sudharsan made his debut in the 2025 Anderson-Tenulkar Trophy against England, featuring in three matches and scoring 140 runs at an average of 23.33, including a fifty.

Agarkar also commented on the team’s impressive performance on the England tour in the absence of key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Ajit Agarkar said:

“And when people like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma retire, those are big holes to fill here always. I mean, not to forget Ashwin a few months back, and Shami hasn't played for a while. Those guys have been, over the last 10 years, key players for the team. So those things, but a lot of these younger guys have shown some really good signs in England, which was really tough, even though we didn't win it. But there were lots of positives to build on, and hopefully going forward, we can give these guys time to actually build their careers.”

Under Shubman Gill’s leadership, India drew the five-match series 2-2.

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“He's available for both the Test matches” - Ajit Agarkar weighs in on workload management of Jasprit Bumrah

During the same interaction, Ajit Agarkar was asked to comment on Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management. Bumrah had played in three of the five Tests against England before featuring in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. The 47-year-old noted that the ace pacer is available for both Tests and added:

“So, he's available for both the Test matches. So I mean, it's normally discussed with the trainers and coach usually, and obviously we want the best for him, but the team will always come first. That is always the case. He's a terrific performer, so we want him available as much as possible, but we have to be careful with him with some of the big tournaments coming as well.”

Bumrah has played 48 Tests, taking 219 wickets at an average of 19.82 and a strike rate of 42.6, including 15 five-wicket hauls.