Washington Sundar was absolutely stunning while bowling in India vs New Zealand 2nd Test, he was also labelled as successor of Ravichandran Ashwin but former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that it is too early to look at Washington Sundar as the successor for Ravichandran Ashwin. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar admitted that Sundar’s comeback into the Indian Test squad was great but stated that his performance on other surfaces is still to be ascertained.

Washington Sundar’s Stunning Performance Against NZ

After three-and-a-half years of break from Tests, the return of Washington Sundar was remarkable. In the 2nd Test he bowled his best spell- 7 for 59. The efforts also catapulted him at the top of Indian bowlers for the current cycle of the World Test Championship. His precision bowling and subtle spin caused enough trouble for the batters of New Zealand to collapse from 190 for 3 to just 259 runs.

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What Advantage Does Washington Have Over Other Spinners?

“On a pitch that is abrasive, all you need is accurate, fast spinners. I mean, spinners who bowl the ball quickly. And that is when you don’t need the artistry of Kuldeep Yadav So it made a lot of sense, and, Washi has the advantage of being the quickest now, you know, because he’s bowling regularly at 95 because of his higher release point, and it was pretty accurate. So the right kind of bowler. So horses for courses really and India seem to now have spinners for the kind, turning the spin is going to take,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo.

‘I Think Its A Little Premature’: Says Manjrekar

It was put to question when Ashwin did not do much on the first Test in Bengaluru with just one wicket in the first innings and barely used in the second. He was brought on at 25 overs and at that stage, India had already gone downhill in the match.

“To be very honest in that series against Bangladesh and the one before that and even in the first test, although the returns weren’t great, I just don’t see a bowler whose end is near or you start sort of looking out for a replacement yet, so I think it’s a little premature, especially in Indian conditions. I think it will continue to have enough for, quite a bit of time to come. Washi has started out well, but it is just one performance. What you need, really. Although it seems like it’s easy to turn up and bowl on, you know, turning pitches. And then you wonder why foreign spinners don’t get as much from the pitch. So you need to have certain qualities that Washi showed, which is quick, accurate, and just a little variation to get those wickets because the pitches are always gonna help. So, yes, by just one sample that we’ve seen this game, there is promise there,” Manjrekar concluded.

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Manjrekar, however was hopeful that Ashwin is far from retirement and certainly not in Indian conditions, which means there is no necessity to look for a replacement anytime sooner.