India’s loss in the T20I series opener against Ireland in Belfast has put Washington Sundar under the scanner, and questions are being raised on the utility of the all-rounder in the shortest format. The first T20I on Friday saw Sundar bowl just one over, in which he leaked 19 runs, allowing Ireland to script a comeback and post 182 on the board. To make matters worse, the left-handed batter had a horrible day with the bat as well, scoring nine runs off 12 balls. The entire knock saw Sundar trying to cut loose, but he just couldn’t connect and, in the end, was sent back to the pavilion by Matt Hollard.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin asked questions of the team management headed by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer, and advised them to give better “role clarity” to Sundar if they want to give him a long rope across formats.
Ashwin stated that if Sundar has to feature in the playing XI, then he needs to be asked to bowl four overs every time he plays a T20I for the Men in Blue. He also advised the team management to stop using Sundar as a finisher and rather give him the role of being a “floater.”
“India got three wickets pretty early, and then it looked like the team took the pedal off the gas a little bit. The management has backed Washington Sundar a lot. His place seems set in the playing XI, but I feel his role is not there. He is always there on the field, but sometimes he gets just one over. Sometimes he doesn’t get that over,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“If you remember the T20 World Cup, Axar Patel, who was the vice-captain, was dropped against South Africa, and Washington Sundar played in his place. In batting, Sundar is being used as a finisher, but he’s not one. He should be used as a floater. It seems like a wrong role for him,” he added.
‘Long rope’
The legendary Indian spinner also added that if a long rope needs to be given to Sundar, then the team management needs to get more out of Sundar, the bowler. He also said that Sundar should be asked to bowl four overs in every T20I match he plays going forward.
“If you want to give him a long rope, then bring him onto the bowl as soon as the powerplay is done. You have to give him four overs. Axar always bowls, and Sundar should be the same. If you don’t give him bowling, how will you find out whether he could be a dependable all-rounder or not?” asked Ashwin.
The Shreyas Iyer captaincy era got off to a bad start after India went down by 34 runs in the first T20I. The second and last game of the two-match series will now be played on Sunday, June 28.