LUCKNOW, Sept. 25 -- For B Sai Sudarshan, it was a bad start in Test cricket. Zero and 30 in two innings in the first Test against England during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Leeds this June summed up the beginning of a post-Covid era emerging star from Tamil Nadu.

But this didn't dampen his spirit, and he improved himself by hitting a sparkling half-century in the first innings of the second Test at Manchester before scoring a duck. Forty-one runs, including 11 in the second innings in the third Test denied him a further chance in the remaining two Tests even though India drew the series at 2-2.

Two India A four-day games in Lucknow against Australia A turned out to be a re-start to his journey in the longer format of the game and ...