Afghan series & IPL excellent platform for Washington: Raju
CHENNAI: Several former cricketers and sources close to the Indian team think-tank believe that Washington Sundar has an excellent opportunity before him in the coming months to make an impression and grab a regular spot in white-ball cricket for India.
The ongoing Afghan series and the upcoming IPL will provide Washington ample opportunities to show his prowess and try to be in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup. "Washington has been in and out of the Indian team in the last few seasons due to injury. He is now back as part of the India squad against Afghanistan and if he works on his fitness and stays injury-free, he will get a lot of opportunities to play for India as there is no doubt about his talent," said SL Venkatapathy Raju, former India spinner and former national selector.
"Apart from R Ashwin, there is no other off-spinner in the country who has made any impact. After Ashwin, Washington is the most talented off-spinner in the country. He (Washi) is still young and has it in him to do well at the highest level,'' added the former left-arm spinner.
Indian attack, especially at home, has been predictable with a couple of pacers and two left-arm spinners in the fray in white-ball cricket. To break this pattern, the Indian team think-tank has been trying out Washington, Ravi Bishnoi to have more variety and options in its attack.
Raju believes that India should have more options in the squad and not be predictable by having several left-arm spinners in its ranks. ''The Afghan series and the IPL, in particular, is an excellent platform for Washi to showcase his skillsets and make an impression. The IPL quality, as we all know, is much better than some of the international teams. Washi should use the IPL to show that he has not lost his Midas touch,'' opined Raju.
Washington was not at his best in the first T20I against Afghanistan. His three overs cost 27 runs and he went wicket-less. Washi is known to bowl at any stage during the match and his accuracy has always been his strength.
''When you are in and out of the team due to injury, there is pressure to perform when you come back and play. This affects your rhythm. So, Washington needs to bowl a lot at every opportunity he gets, be it Ranji, club game, or IPL to get that confidence back. For a spinner, match practice is more important than net sessions. The more you bowl in a match situation, the better the bowler you become," pointed out the former Hyderabad captain.
Washington is one of the few all-rounders who can bat and bowl with equal efficiency. But his role as a batter has not been clear. Before the World Cup, he opened in one match during the ODI series vs Australia. Then he went on to play in the top order for Tamil Nadu. In T20s, he has been batting in the lower middle order.
''Washi is only part of the white-ball scheme of things at the moment. His role (batter), mostly from what I have seen, is only in the middle order. But there could be a situation when the team wants a youngster to bat higher in order to surprise or counter an opponent. So one has to be prepared to bat at any position as an all-rounder. So whenever and wherever he gets an opportunity, he must practice power-hitting and ensure that he develops a healthy strike rate,'' insisted Raju.