Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has put his weight behind Sai Sudharsan to get consistent chances in the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies. Sudharsan had made his Test debut against England but had failed to grab his opportunity with both hands. 

The southpaw scored 140 runs in three Test matches against England at an average of 23.33 and he would look to come up with more consistent performances while playing at home.

“Sai Sudharsan, the left-handed batsman, should get consistent opportunities now; in the England series he was on and off, even though he showed his talent. Now looks like he’ll play more regularly, and he absolutely has the talent to be very, very successful,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, in Rishabh Pant’s absence, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named as Shubman Gill’s deputy.

“This will be Shubman Gill’s second series as captain, and Ravindra Jadeja has been picked as vice-captain. That’s great, he truly deserves it. Jadeja has performed brilliantly and been a match-winner for India, especially in Test cricket. Since Rishabh Pant is not available due to injury, Jadeja as vice-captain is well deserved,” he added.

As Pant is recovering from a toe injury, Pathan said the West Indies series will be a great opportunity for Dhruv Jurel to prove his mettle.

“Since Rishabh Pant is unavailable, Jurel gets an opportunity. He’s a talented wicketkeeper-batsman, and this is a huge chance for him to prove himself, potentially even just as a batsman,” he said.

The opening Test against the West Indies will be at Ahmedabad from October 2 onwards.