Former Indian batter Devang Gandhi has put his weight behind out-of-form Sai Sudharsan ahead of the second Test match against the West Indies. The left-hander was dismissed after scoring only seven runs in the first innings of the opening Test match against the Windies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

The southpaw has managed only 147 runs in four Test matches at an average of 21 and he has failed to grab his opportunity with both hands. 

Before the Test series against the West Indies, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said they are looking to give a long rope to Sudharsan at number three.

“No. 3 is a difficult slot and look at the shoes that he is trying to fill (Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara). It’s not easy and from what I have seen of him, Sai looks very assured at the crease. There is probably a bit of an issue with his head position while playing the ball, but that can be easily worked on,” Gandhi told the Times of India.

“Even in Australia, he wasn’t exactly scoring truckloads of runs, but the selectors backed him and see where he is now. If they feel Sai is the right fit at No. 3, he should be given a long rope,” he added.

Barring Sai Sudharsan, all the Indian batters got off to starts against the West Indies in the first Test match. KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja scored fine centuries and helped India post 448 runs on the board. The home team registered a comprehensive innings and 140-run win, which is their third biggest Test victory against the Windies.

The second Test match between India and the West Indies will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi from Friday.