Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Sai Sudharsan's impressive 61 in ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test ft. Sanjay Manjrekar 

Team India youngster Sai Sudharsan marked his return to the playing XI with a triumphant fifty on Day 1 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. The left-handed batter, replacing Karun Nair in the batting line-up, scored a resilient 61 off 151 deliveries to keep the visitors in the hunt on a testing day.

Sudharsan came into bat early on in the second innings after KL Rahul was dismissed in the 30th over. He had to weather a gruelling initial phase at the crease with the ball and pitch both behaving a bit, enough to keep a new batter on their toes.

He showed his patience and determination by protecting his wicket, which was crucial as India were struggling to build a solid partnership at that juncture. It was a common trend for India, especially after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal as both Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant followed suit, the latter due to an unfortunate injury.

Sudharsan's vigil came to an end after he gave in to Ben Stokes' short-ball barrage. He could not execute the pull shot to perfection, and found Brydon Carse in the deep. But not only did he do his job, but left a lasting impression in the process.

On that note, let us take a look at the top 5 expert reactions to Sai Sudharsan's impressive 61 in ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test.

#1 Murali Kartik

The former Indian spinner noted that although Sudharsan was handed a second life when Jamie Smith dropped a sitter midway during his innings, the young batter should be praised for his composure, and the way he made the most of the opportunity right after returning to the playing XI.

"A batter is always in dilemma. So the way he batted deserves praises. Forget that he got a lifeline, down the leg similar to how he was dismissed previously, but besides that if you look at his batting, he was very composed and he displayed his hold on the game," Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

"Some shots, through the outside against spinners were really good, and he also played the pull shots really well. But he must remember that if you are a No. 3 Indian batter, you must make the most of the opportunities that come your way, not leaving even the slightest of window open for anyone to raise any questions. Hence he will be disappointed with himself for the way he was dismissed but, at the end of the day, he must be praised for the way he batted," he added.

#2 Navjot Singh Sidhu

The former India cricketer hailed the youngster for having no apparent weakness and being technically sound and rock-solid. He also predicted the batter to be a part of the Indian squad across formats soon, especially after winning the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) Orange Cap.

"When you are technically correct, you flow, I say this when I look at Sai Sudharsan, and I am telling it from the start. He will trouble a lot of people and trash a lot of people. I have not seen this type of a left-hander at number three. When I look at Sai Sudharsan, his greatest strength is that there is no weakness. He's got everything in the repertoire. I feel he will be an established batter in all formats," Sidhu said on his YouTube channel.

#3 Sanjay Manjrekar

The former India batter slammed the team management for dropping Sai Sudharsan after only a solitary outing, but praised him for settling in quickly after a rather nervous start.

"He must have been heartbroken to be dropped after the first Test. I thought India almost played around with a young career because it could have gone completely south," Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo.

"The way he started out, we could see a bit of nervousness. He showed some promise in the second innings of the first Test, so that was India playing with fire with a young man's career. Fortunately, he showed a big heart, didn't get a hundred, but most people would be saying, 'Yes, we expected that from Sai Sudharsan'," he added.

#4 Aakash Chopra

The former India opener also agreed that Sai Sudharsan should have been part of the last couple of Tests. He felt that had he come into the Test as a settled member of the side instead of replacing Karun Nair, he would have converted the knock into something much bigger.

"You played him in the first match, then you dropped him. You then start wondering why are they doing this? Let him play a bit at least. He scored 30 in that first game, he was not too bad, and we all held the opinion that he is brilliant. He is a special talent," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"Now, had this been his fourth Test match appearance (instead of second), he might have batted with even more flow. He has played a typical Test match classic innings, defended well, played close to his body, and left the deliveries outside off. He is a phenomenal player," he added.

#5 Michael Vaughan

The former England skipper admitted that Sai Sudharsan's performance changed his mind regarding his inclusion in the playing XI over Karun Nair. Much like Sidhu, as mentioned above, Vaughan also feels that Sudharsan becoming an all-format player for India is inevitable.

"It was a good move actually (bringing back Sai Sudharsan). I thought at the start of the day's play that it's a bit harsh on Karun Nair, but then I thought you have to look to the future, and he is going to be around the Indian Test team, probably the Indian teams, for a lot more years," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.