Washington Sundar has made such an impressive impact after his recent knock for Tamil Nadu against New Delhi. That remarkable knock of 152 runs at No. 3 along with his six wickets at Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier this month caught the eye of head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has long been a supporter of Washington, after which he was accommodated into the India side for the second Test. Washington proved his worth by taking seven wickets for 59 runs against New Zealand, and thus, it was a great comeback into Test cricket after he was last seen in the action in March 2021.
Domestic Red-Ball Exposure Very Helpful For Sundar
“It was a great opportunity for me to play Tamil Nadu-Delhi game because it’s good to be playing red-ball every now and then and keep getting the rhythm in red-ball going — both with the bat and ball — and be consistent with it,” Washington told during post-day press conference
The 25-year-old gave full credits to his domestic red-ball exposure as the most crucial to his success. He stated how good it was to bowl tightly and a lot of overs during the Ranji match.
“The fact that I also got to bowl a lot of overs in that game definitely helped. I am really grateful for this day, I don’t think I will ever forget this day, very special,” he said.
Self-Improvement, The Right Mantra For Success
What Washington looks for at this juncture of his career is overall improvement rather than transforming himself into one specific kind of all-rounder.
I should just be focusing on what I can do as a person, as a cricketer to keep getting better, to find that best version of myself,” he said.
What Helps Sundar Evolve As A Cricketer?
Sundar has played 31 First-Class matches in the past eight years in which he has fetched 65 wickets.
“That has always been a self-talk for me because I have always wanted to figure out things that would help me to get better, help me to keep evolving as a cricketer.
“That is the only thing I have been focusing on in the last few years and I am really grateful to god for me to be able to experience these kinds of situations,” he added.
The Spin Trio: Sundar-Ashwin-Jadeja
His figures of 7 for 59 equaled that of veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s best innings score in Tests. Washington was keen enough anyway to have a few more overs with the combination of Ashwin and fellow teammate Ravindra Jadeja of Tamil Nadu.
“We communicated a lot and they brought in a lot of qualities, skill sets and experience. That really helps for someone who is playing along with them,” he said.
“It definitely helped me today and it is special to be playing in the game in which both of them are part of as well. I hope we will get to play a lot more games together,” he said.
Washington Sundar Praises Ravichandran Ashwin
Washington Sundar praised Ravichandran Ashwin and opined that he helps everyone.
“It’s quite rare but he is very kind, especially in that perspective. Not just me, but no matter who goes and asks him for ideas about bowling or any technicalities, he’s always there to help everyone,” he added.
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Ashwin dismantled the New Zealand top-order, thus he set the tone after which Washington followed.
(With PTI Inputs)
