India's assistant Ryan ten Doeschate came to Washington Sundar's defense when asked about the star all-rounder's ambiguous role in the team.
Ryan Ten Doeschate on Washington Sundar's role in the team
Right ahead of the third ODI against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag, which is slated to be played on December 6, India's assistant coach addressed the concerns regarding Sundar’s positioning. He clarified that for the current series, the all-rounder has been selected primarily as a batting all-rounder. He further explained that due to the heavy dew effect making it difficult for spinners to grip the ball and bowl effectively.
“In those conditions, you can’t bowl 20 overs of spin. Washington is still learning; he is confident. He has had a very good 12 months. He is working on certain things, like having five fielders outside the circle while batting,” Doeschate said at the pre-match press conference.
The lingering ambiguity around Washington Sundar
The query surrounding Sundar's exact role is common, as he has been used inconsistently. One day Sundar, who has bowled just seven over in the ongoing series, may bat as high as number three in Test cricket, and on another, he is relegated to number eight. Despite being categorised as a bowling all-rounder, the team management often shows a lack of confidence in giving him a substantial bowling role, a trend observed both in England and recently against South Africa.
In the ongoing ODI series, Sundar batted at number five in Ranchi, a move made after Axar Patel, who typically occupies that slot, was either rested or dropped. In that game, Sundar was only trusted to bowl three overs, while the combination of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja delivered 19 overs. In the subsequent match in Raipur, he was moved down to number six following interim captain KL Rahul's decision to promote himself in the order. While defending a massive target of 359 runs, Sundar was restricted to just four overs. Although he conceded runs at a rate of 7 per over, it is noteworthy that Kuldeep bowled his full quota of overs despite going at a higher rate of 7.80. From an external perspective, his role appears highly muddled, suggesting that Sundar himself may not be entirely sure of his assigned responsibilities.
However, the current rationale presents a clear tactical dilemma for the Indian team management. If the playing surfaces are indeed such that multiple spinners are not required to bowl a full quota, questions arise as to why the team continues to select all-rounder Washington Sundar. Sundar has recently failed to be consistently promising in the designated finishing role, raising the possibility of considering a regular specialist batter, such as Rishabh Pant, for a place in the playing eleven instead.