"I have a separate hanger in my house to keep every cap"- Sai Sudharsan opens up on dream India debut against South Africa
Sai Sudharsan had a debut to remember for India, as he remained unbeaten on 55*, helping the Men in Blue comfortably win the opening game of the three-match series against South Africa by eight wickets in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The young left-hander opened up on the emotions of achieving his dream of playing for the country. He also shed light on getting the debut cap from stand-in captain KL Rahul and how he has a collection of caps at his home.
Sudharsan told Star Sports:
"It is amazing first to play for the country and then contribute for the team as well. I think every small kid who started playing cricket started wanting to play for the country and do their best for the team. So, I think, I had a great outing there first time."
He added:
"It was a wonderful feeling, and I love that culture of giving caps wherever. I started getting the caps in Tamil Nadu. I have a separate hanger in my house to keep every cap, whichever I get from the huddle. KL Bhai (Rahul) giving it is definitely special."
Sai Sudharsan on getting adjusted to conditions in South Africa
The Proteas were bundled out for just 116 in their first innings, which was enough to suggest that there was help for the fast bowlers from the surface. However, Sai Sudharsan explained his process of understanding the conditions in South Africa and how he prepared accordingly:
"I felt it settled a bit, but it was still a pretty different wicket to bat on. It was difficult to get going, but we had good communication between us, so it helped us adjust to the conditions as well."
Sudharsan added:
"It is a bit different from India, with a little bit of extra bounce. So before I came here I tried to talk to many former cricketers who played in South Africa and tried to get as much information I could before coming here. I played an India A game as well, so I had some time to adjust with it (conditions)."
Sai Sudharsan's excellent start to international cricket has only added to India's depth in batting quality.