IND vs NZ 2nd Test: India reinforce spin options with Washington Sundar’s Test recall

Washington Sundar. Pic/AFP

More than three-and-a-half years after he last played a Test, Washington Sundar has been added to the Indian squad for the last two matches against New Zealand. That his addition was announced a day after he made a sparkling 152 at No. 3 for Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy clash against Delhi has triggered speculation that he has been drafted in as a top-order batting cover, though that may not be the case.

With Shubman Gill having recovered completely from the stiff neck that kept him out of the eight-wicket loss in Bangalore, India actually have a headache when it comes to the batting - not with regard to whom to pick, but who to leave out. Sundar's inclusion must therefore be viewed as an additional off-spinning option to augment R Ashwin, presumably because there are three left-handers in the New Zealand top four.

No trouble for NZ's lefties

Opener Devon Conway was unlucky to miss a century in the first innings of the first Test while Rachin Ravindra, the Player of the Match, backed up a hundred with a calming unbeaten 39 in the second dig, chasing 107. Both left-handers were largely untroubled by the Indian spin triumvirate of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Despite being an accomplished batter with a Test average of 66.25, Sundar's potential comeback could owe itself more to his bowling role.

The plethora of injuries that marred India's tour of Australia in 2020-21 hastened Sundar's Test debut in Brisbane and he responded with sparkling efforts of 62 and 22 in his side's epochal triumph at the Gabba.

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He also featured in three of the subsequent four Tests against England at home in February-March 2021, making unbeaten half-centuries in the first Test in Chennai and the last in Ahmedabad, before suddenly going out of red-ball contention. While India have been extending their quest to unearth an off-spinner for life after Ashwin and several names have started to do the rounds, Sundar for some strange reason hardly found mention, pigeonholed as he has been as essentially a white-ball cricketer.

Slow turner in Pune?

Sundar has 59 first-class scalps in 30 matches - his six Test wickets have come at a high average of 49.83 - and has come a long way as a bowler since his last Test outing. Whether Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir feel emboldened enough to play him on what is expected to be a slow turner at the MCA International Stadium here remains to be seen.

And if he does make the cut, at whose expense will it be? India will be loath to leave out either of all-rounders Ashwin and Jadeja if both are fully fit and aren't huge fans of going in with just one quick bowler, which means should Washington find favour, it could be at the expense of Kuldeep's left-arm wrist-spin.
Having celebrated his recall with three wickets in Delhi's second innings on Monday, Washington has both batting and bowling form going for him. Will the 25-year-old get another bite at the cherry?