I am someone with a view that Washington Sundar must forget his bowling and concentrate on his batting. Eversince he made his debut in Australia, against all odds, he has shown that he has the necessary technique and the skill to be considered among the best batsman in the country. The fact that he has often opened the innings for Tamil Nadu, signifies his batting prowess. Having said that, he made his debut as a bowler who could be handy with the bat. He was primarily chosen as a replacement for Ashwin who was out of the team with an injury. Critics and pundits alike did not know what to expect of a youngster about whom not much was heard of. In the company of Shardul Thakur, he set onto resurrect an Indian innings that threatened to fall by the wayside. Washington Sundar the batsman has arrived.
Anyone who had the privilege of watching that innings of Sundar at The Gabba will vouch for his batting abilities. I am one among those. The nonchalant six over square leg off Pat Cummins, was so disdainful that for a casual onlooker, Sundar must have been someone who had immense experience under himself. Such was the authority over that shot. It was a pity that he couldn’t give Pant company till the end. Nevertheless, he showcased enough of his capabilities.
Shastri about Sundar
Sundar went one step further against England at home with a brilliant 96. Siraj wasn’t able to stay with him for a hundred. Ravi Shastri who witnessed that innings said,
“This guy is a serious cricketer. He is still very young, he has got to understand his own game, how good a player he is. Shot selection will come, especially for the white-ball format. [If he] works on his fitness so that he is not injury-prone, India have got a serious cricketer in him. Across all formats of the game. I think it is up to him really to do the hard yards on fitness. No excuse. He can’t depend on X, Y, Z. He has to look at himself in the mirror and say I want to work hard and I want to be the leading allrounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy.”
I disagree
Where I disagree with anyone who has good words about Sundar is that they all see him as an off-spinning all-arounder. Ashwin is towards the end of his career and Sundar is being looked at as his appropriate replacement. For me, I find that outrageous. He is a proper batsman who if required, can bowl. This is my assessment of him. He has got all the shots in the book and is quite exceptional against both pace and spin.
The condition of the pitch or the reputation of the bowler does not seem to matter to him. Yes, he has some varieties with off-spin and could be handy but to treat him as an all-rounder is not the correct. Sundar is a proper middle order batsman. When Pujara and Rahane were around, I argued that Rahane be dropped to accommodate Sundar as one of the top 5 batsmen. The old team of Kohli and Shastri were unwilling to drop Rahane and take a chance with Sundar.
Downward spiral
Unfortunately, Sundar himself seems to have felt that he was is an off-spinner who could bat lower down the order. Things went south with a spat of injuries and loss of form. Sundar began to feel the pinch. He knew that he did not have the power game to succeed in T20 cricket. His returns for Sunrisers Hyderabad wasn’t that great. Coming in at number 7 or 8, with just a few deliveries left, he could not get the big boundaries that teams usually search for in those overs. That was because he is a touch player and not a power player in the mould of a Pant or Jadeja.
Anyway, the lack of impact must have had an effect on Sundar and he tried reestablish himself into a power hitting all-rounder. In other words, he tried to become someone his body did not allow him to become. His frail nature simply did not have the game that suited T20 cricket.
Better sense prevailed
Based on his latest comments, it seems that better sense has prevailed. Batting for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, Sundar was sent in at number 3. After having largely batted as a lower order batsman even for Tamil Nadu, sometimes as low as number 8, he was given an opportunity to showcase his wares. Needless to write, he did not disappoint. He scored a sublime 150 against a decent Delhi attack. What he said after this is what makes me think that he has finally realised the inner batsman in him.
“I definitely consider myself a top-order batter. I’m very happy with the kind of opportunity I got, to bat at No. 3. For me, one thing is very important – I need to be able to do whatever the team demands. It is a team game. That is what I always think about. Hopefully, I can deliver such knocks consistently.”
Wrapping up Washington Sundar the batsman
One can only hope that Sundar sticks to his newfound realisation. He must follow the footsteps of one, Laxman, who decided never to open the innings despite being pressured to do so. Something similar is needed from Sundar. All he need to do is pile runs upon runs in the Ranji Trophy as a middle-order batsman, he will get his chance. I am not asking him to completely forego his bowling but let that not define who he is.