3 Good Reasons to Put Washington Sundar in India’s Starting XI Against Australia
Beginning on February 9, 2023, the eagerly awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy will begin. For the first two Tests against Australia, the Indian selectors have chosen a formidable 17-man side.
Here are three arguments for why Washington Sundar should’ve been a starting member of the Indian team in the Tests against Australia rather than a net bowler.
1. There is no left-hander among the first five batters
There is no left-handed batter towards the top of the Indian line-up. Given that Rishabh Pant cannot participate in the Test series and Ishan Kishan has been performing tolerably, the squad may choose to introduce right-hander Srikar Bharat in the opening match at Nagpur. There is only one other southpaw in the top seven, Ravindra Jadeja, whereas Australia has four (David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Alex Carey). The home team fared better in the series with a right-left combination.
2. His current form and the way he has started his Test career place him
On his first international appearance, Sundar batted 500 against Australia. Sundar’s debut in the Test arena has been nothing short of spectacular. He has scored 265 runs at a 66.25 batting average in just six innings, with three 50+ score milestones. He’s taken six wickets with the ball so far. Bowling all-rounders in Test matches include players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. Since Sundar is a versatile batsman, he may have given the team’s management greater flexibility if they needed to add an extra batter to their line-up.
3. Insurance against losing your star spinners.
When Ashwin and Jadeja were injured and unable to play in Australia in 2021, Washington Sundar got his first big break. After a lengthy injury absence, Jadeja has been cleared to rejoin the Indian team. Further, the unit lacks an off-spinner in case Ashwin gets hurt. Sundar may come in help if problems arise with the spinners. The 23-year-old can do it all with the bat and has even had some success with the ball in limited-overs competition. H is also a reliable fielder, and his versatility would have been helpful for the home team.