The standard of the current Zimbabwe team aside, India’s recent T20I series against the Sikandar Raza-led side was certainly a platform for the reserves and youngsters in the team to prove their mettle. Of those players who made an impression, Washington Sundar is one, surely.
It wasn’t the first time though that the off-spinner all-rounder made a mark for himself. In his debut Test in Brisbane on that unforgettable Australia tour in 2021 and in the home series against England that followed, Washington delivered in crunch situations, playing a part in India’s victories.
Yet, he hasn’t been a regular in the Indian team because of injuries. At present, though, with Ravindra Jadeja retiring from T20Is, it’s a different scenario for Washington.
Unable to make the T20 World Cup squad, the Zimbabwe T20Is were a test for the 24-year-old. Making optimum use of the game time there, Washington passed the test with flying colours, banking primarily on his accuracy to finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the series (with eight scalps) alongside pacer Mukesh Kumar.
The Player of the Series award though went to Washington as he was among the wickets in all five matches. And in three of those, he didn’t concede a single boundary, which isn’t easy for a spinner in a T20 game.
Critics may question how much this performance counts, especially when the opposition is poor in all aspects of the game. “It does count because this was a platform for Washington to put up good performances and stay in the reckoning,” said former national selector Devang Gandhi.
“And of course, now that Jadeja is not there in T20Is, Washington obviously becomes an option in India’s spinner all-rounders’ list. Besides, Axar (Patel) being a left-arm spinner, Washington’s off-spin will lend variety. Also, he can bowl in the Powerplay,” Devang pointed out.
Agreed, the pitches in Harare were two-paced on most occasions, which did assist bowlers to an extent. But even on a belter in Bengaluru earlier in January, a game where India needed two Super Overs to beat Afghanistan even after setting a 213-run target, Washington had finished with 3/18 in three overs. Even Kuldeep Yadav’s economy rate in that game — India’s last T20I before the T20 showpiece — was over 10.
This underlines that if Washington gets his length right, he’s not too easy to
put away. “Washy works very hard in terms of his preparation. Two sessions of training in a day is something regular for him.
“It’s unfortunate he couldn’t make the (T20) World Cup squad, but if he carries on in this fashion, good times are certainly ahead of him,” his father M. Sundar said from Chennai.
Assuming Washington will be picked in the T20I leg of the Sri Lanka tour, he will have to bowl on slow, sluggish tracks and against batters who may be a tad better than the Zimbabweans. Washington is aware of the stuff he needs to keep doing against stronger batting line-ups.
“I need to keep improving and do well in all aspects of my game. The rest will then take care of itself,” he stated.
