Young Indian batter Sai Sudharsan couldn’t make the most of his much-anticipated Test debut, falling to Ben Stokes just before lunch on Day 1 of the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 at Headingley, Leeds.
Sai Sudharsan’s Test Debut Ends Early at Headingley
After KL Rahul’s steady knock came to an end at the hands of Brydon Carse, Sudharsan walked in with a solid platform to build on. However, the debutant couldn’t seize the opportunity, which was especially disappointing given that he was chosen ahead of experienced opener Abhimanyu Easwaran.
England captain Ben Stokes gave the home team a crucial breakthrough by getting the Indian debutant out for zero with a smart strategy. Sai Sudharsan’s wicket came after England carefully planned their attack. They focused on bowling close to his pads, set a leg slip, and then added a leg gully to create pressure.
Sai seemed aware of the fielders behind him on the leg side and was cautious about playing his usual flick shot. But on his fourth ball, he couldn’t hold back and tried to glance the ball fine. It just touched his bat and flew to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who took a clean catch to his right. Sai had to leave the field without scoring after facing only four balls.
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— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) June 20, 2025
Fan Reactions: Disappointment, Criticism, and Support for Sai Sudharsan
After Sai’s dismissal, many Indian cricket fans felt disappointed, and some blamed the pressure from the media and public for his failure to score on his Test debut in England. A few fans also joked that Sai learned the hard way how different Test cricket is from the IPL.
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On the other hand, many supporters defended Sai and expressed hope that he would do better in the second innings of the first Test in the five-match series against England at Headingley. However, some questioned why Sai was chosen ahead of players like Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, and Abhimanyu Easwaran, especially since he became only the third player ever to get out for a duck on their Test debut.
Check out how fans reacted to the flop show by Sai Sudharsan:
Sai Sudharsan dismissed for a 4 ball duck. pic.twitter.com/ZoQ683KWy3
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 20, 2025
On his debut, Sai Sudharsan disappointed all his fans and Indian viewers with a golden duck.
Lunch Break
India 92/2 in 25.4 overs
Yashaswi Jaiswal 42*
Kl Rahul 42
Sai Sudarshan Golden Duck
Ben Stokes and Carse took one wicket each.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/iSKOJXGSNb— Tanuj (@Tanujkaswan) June 20, 2025
One duck doesn’t define your career 💯#INDvsENG #SaiSudharsan pic.twitter.com/oOyPA89POc
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) June 20, 2025
BEN STOKES, THE CAPTAIN IS HERE…!!!!
– He gets Sai Sudharsan for a Duck. pic.twitter.com/u7oCtj8G6F
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 20, 2025
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Ajay Ratra – 0 (7) vs WI 2002, Port of Spain
W. Saha – 0 (3) vs SA 2010, Nagpur
H. Vihari – 0 (6) vs ENG 2018, OvalSai Sudharsan becomes the 4th top-order Indian batter this century to be dismissed for a duck on Test debut. pic.twitter.com/AtOfu5PxYJ
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 20, 2025
Cheteshwar Pujara passes on the No.3️⃣ legacy as Sai Sudharsan earns his debut Test cap. 🧢🇮🇳#ENGvIND #SaiSudharsan #CheteshwarPujara #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/bffbVYW5MW
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) June 20, 2025
A debut to forget for Sai Sudharsan. Hopefully something special in the 2nd innings. pic.twitter.com/cim7nJef42
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) June 20, 2025
Such a careless shot by Sai Sudharsan on debut. Hopefully he learns from this.
Not fair to judge any player on the basis one inning that too debut in overseas conditions.
But I would’ve preferred Easwaran over him for his first class performance and IND-A experience.#ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/3VuQSKSjIV
— Aman Deep (@thalampofpeace) June 20, 2025
Not an ideal start for Sai Sudharsan in test cricket pic.twitter.com/AUzZocG8Hr
— RCBIANS OFFICIAL (@RcbianOfficial) June 20, 2025
India began the first session well, but lost momentum just before lunch as England took two quick wickets at Leeds. The openers, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, handled the swinging ball carefully and built a strong 91-run partnership.
Rahul looked confident but was caught at first slip off Brydon Carse after scoring 42 runs. Soon after, debutant Sai Sudharsan was out for a duck, caught by the wicketkeeper after a clever trap by Ben Stokes. India ended the morning session at 92 for 2 in the first Test at Headingley.
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