India has added a spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar to the Test squad for the remaining series against New Zealand. The second Test will be played in Pune from October 24-28, while the third Test will be played in Mumbai from November 1-5.
Reason for Washington Sundar’s inclusion in India’s Test squad
Speaking to the media in the second Test, the fielding coach of the Indian team Ryan ten Doeschate He explained that the addition of Sundar has given India an opportunity to move the ball away from the left-handers.
“Look, obviously Akhar is also in the team. They have four left-handers in their 11. We want the option of taking the ball from left-handers.” stated. He also noted that Sundar’s recent performances in domestic cricket, particularly an impressive 152 runs against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, warranted his selection.
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“You know, Washi has been around the white ball team for a while and we like the way he’s been doing. It’s great to see the kids getting rewarded for their Ranji Trophy performances as well.” he added.
“I hope it sends a good message to all the other kids. But this is certainly not a hopeless measure. We have a lot of faith in the spinners we have. We just want to make sure we are fully prepared for the situation. If that means taking the ball from the left-hander, we want that option.”
Five spinners in the Indian Test squad
Sundar’s entry takes India’s spin arsenal to 5 and joins the established spinners Ravichandran AshwinRavindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Akhar Patel. That depth in the spin options is crucial given India’s recent struggles in the first Test, where they suffered an embarrassing defeat by eight wickets after being bowled out for just 46 runs in the first innings.
