"Single game should never define a career" - Fans slam Indian team management as Sai Sudharsan gets dropped for ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Sai Sudharsan didn't find a place in India's playing XI for the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. The top-order batter made his debut in the opening encounter of the series, registering scores of 0 and 30.

India made three changes to their lineup for the contest, with Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar coming in for Jasprit Bumrah (rested), Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur.

The second Test kicked off at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Wednesday, July 2. England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and put India to bat first. Following the announcement of the lineups, several fans expressed their displeasure over the Indian think tank benching Sudharsan after just one match.

The fans opined that the 23-year-old deserved more chances to prove his worth, and getting dropped after just one match would hamper his confidence. Here are some of the top reactions on X:

"While dropping Sai Sudharsan after 1 test is obviously not the best idea for an emerging player, what's the logic to play Karun Nair at No 3? He played in the middle order in Ranji and Sai played in top order, so why was Karun not dropped," wrote a fan.

"Karun Nair back at No. 3, his natural spot but harsh on Sai Sudharsan to be dropped after just one bad game. A young player needs backing. You can’t build a bench by axing talent after one stumble," commented another.

"Why give a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan if he was going to be dropped after 1 match?? It's not like He is injured," chimed in yet another.

Sudharsan has a decent first-class record to his name. The southpaw has amassed 1,987 runs across 51 innings at an average of 38.96.

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"You can't drop a player after just one game" - Harbhajan Singh didn't want India to bench Sai Sudharsan for ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Speaking ahead of the second Test, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh opined that Sudharsan should not be dropped after his debut Test. He emphasized that the team management should back the player and give him a few more opportunities.

The cricketer-turned-commentator remarked on his YouTube channel:

"Sai Sudharsan deserves another chance — you can’t drop a player after just one game. I feel he should be backed and given a place in the XI.

Meanwhile, England lead the five-match series 1-0. The hosts secured a stunning five-wicket victory in the opening fixture at Headingley, Leeds. The Ben Stokes-led side chased down a mammoth 371-run target in the fourth innings.