Washington Sundar had simply begun to get pleasure from life in Lancashire. The wickets have been piling on; in 4 video games, he nabbed 11 at a median of 25, wholesome numbers for somebody thought-about a part-time spinner in first-class cricket. Final week, he produced arguably the ball of the month when an off-break of his spun devilishly from outdoors off-stump to sneak by means of the defences of Kent’s Jordon Cox. The runs — he’s self-admittedly a batsman who can bowl — too had began to movement. He struck an instantaneous chord with the Outdated Trafford trustworthy — he’s sociable and chatty, engages the followers in addition to junior cricketers.
The English summer season turned sunnier when he was picked for India’s fly-by-night ODI collection in Zimbabwe. After which, inevitably, his summer season of content material, turned darkish. He damage his left shoulder when making an attempt to dam a boundary-bound ball throughout a match towards Worcestershire within the Royal England Cup, 5 days earlier than his flight to Harare. Although the damage shouldn’t be too extreme to maintain him out of cricket for a very long time, the 22-year-old misplaced one other comeback avenue, one other shot at emphasising his explosive skills.
It has been the curse of Washington. Each time he appears to nail a spot within the crew, in all codecs, each time he unzips one other dimension of his sport, each time the pundits solid him as the subsequent huge participant from the nation, he courts one damage or the opposite. Earlier than the tour to England final yr, a Mohammed Siraj brief ball throughout a web session fractured his finger. Six months later, simply earlier than the tour to South Africa, he received contaminated with Covid-19. As quickly as he recovered and was readying for the encounters towards Sri Lanka, he pulled a hamstring. Then through the IPL, he injured his finger once more. And now the shoulder damage that has jeopardised his Zimbabwe tour. It has been 15 months of accidents and rehabs, of remedy tables and painkillers, with a bit of significant cricket squeezed in.
UPDATE – Shahbaz Ahmed replaces injured Washington Sundar for Zimbabwe collection.
Extra particulars right here – https://t.co/Iw3yuLeBYy #ZIMvIND
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 16, 2022
The prolonged listing of accidents meant he has not batted in a Take a look at innings after his 96 not out towards England at Motera in 2021, not featured in a T20I for the reason that one towards England on the similar venue in the identical yr, missed the World Cup the place his abilities would have been priceless, and will determine in simply three 50-over video games towards the West Indies in a uncommon injury-free spell.
Immense potential
In a merciless twist to his profession, he has moved from being the Most Beneficial Participant, in accordance with former India head coach Ravi Shastri, to the Most Injured Participant within the span of one-and-a-half years. The promise he holds is immense — if he may enhance his bowling by a notch, he may evolve into a real all-rounder in Assessments; if he may step up his batting, he may very well be a sterling all-rounder in white-ball cricket. As it’s, he’s a batting all-rounder in Assessments and bowling all-rounder in 50- and 20-over cricket.
He has but to play a head-turning knock in white-ball cricket, however in his few red-ball outings, he has furnished ample proof of his composure and flexibility. In Brisbane, he tamed the bouncing ball with none apparent discomfort; in Chennai and Ahmedabad, he conquered the spinning ball with out breaking a sweat. His numbers in white-ball cricket are humble, however the expertise is apparent. “He has the ability and he belongs at this level and he can go a long way. If he could focus on his bowling, India could have a very good number six for all conditions,” Shastri had as soon as noticed.
Earlier than the tour to England final yr, a Mohammed Siraj brief ball throughout a web session fractured his finger. Six months later, simply earlier than the tour to South Africa, he received contaminated with Covid-19. (File)
There are arguably higher batsmen within the nation, however none, alas, can bowl. Washington can, and it’s this dimension that makes his inventory skyrocket. One in every of India’s evident cracks during the last decade — one which has arguably stood between them being world-class but not World Cup-winning class — has been the absence of a batman who may bowl spin. As soon as upon a time, India had a lot — Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and even Suresh Raina at occasions as an illustration, or Shastri himself and Kris Srikkanth within the previous period. At their finest, they’ve gained video games, and infrequently crammed in for a specialist bowler who was enduring a nasty day. Washington’s bowling is extra multidimensional than all these names — he’s thriftier, may take the brand new ball, is acquainted to Powerplay tunes, can bowl within the center overs in addition to on the demise. A T20 economic system fee of 6.91 is price gold at the moment. Thrift shouldn’t be his solely forex — he picks wickets, principally with the bounce he generates along with his peak and over-spin. There may be understated subtlety – he has numerous launch factors and cleverly modifications his tempo. He turns the odd ball. Some cease at batsmen, most skid on.
Ought to his batting in white-ball cricket too come of age —he’s 22 in any case — he may very well be the true deal. He would deliver immense flexibility to the enjoying eleven. On a spin-friendly monitor, he affords India to select three spinners with out compromising on the batting or the pace-bowling division. On a seaming deck, his presence ensures that the spin dimension shouldn’t be weakened on the expense of an additional seamer. To choose an additional batsman, or an additional bowler, Washington offers the flexibleness to change the crew’s permutations in accordance with the circumstances. He and a fully-fit Hardik Pandya would make the batting in addition to the bowling line-up longer, the dual axes that retains the crew’s steadiness intact. Add his on-field acrobatics and also you get a useful modern-day white-ball utility package deal. Extra in order the 50-over World Cup at house is only a yr away and Ravindra Jadeja’s consistency in white-ball cricket has been waning.
Concentrate on health
Washington may very well be what his mentor Shastri was to his crew for a decade — a participant for any function, any situation, any state of affairs. “Better than me,” was Shastri’s reply when requested about whether or not he sees a little bit of him in Washington. “I think Washy has far more natural ability than I had and should bat at No. 4 for his state in every format,” he had stated.
Washington may very well be what his mentor Shastri was to his crew for a decade — a participant for any function, any situation, any state of affairs. (File)
However the appreciation comes with a caveat, a most vital one. “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 all-rounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy,” Shastri had remarked on ESPNCricinfo’s TimeOut.
As a lot as engaged on his health, Washington must be cautious of not injuring himself. Hurting a finger when batting on the nets owes to clumsy judgment; injuring the shoulder when diving stems from poor diving approach; spinners tearing hamstrings betrays an absence of health. It’s the time, like Shastri had stated, “to look in the mirror” and “work hard.” In order that he can see extra sunny days on the sphere than bleary days in rehabs.
