India vs Australia: ‘He loved playing alongside boys older than his age’ – Washington Sundar’s sister hails his work ethics following Gabba heroics
Follow Us
Washington Sundar
An injury-ravaged India turned to their bench to put up a side for the Brisbane Test. And the youngsters didn’t disappoint the management. They pulled off a memorable win at the Gabba and Washington Sundar was one of the young heroes who rose to the occasion. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder who stayed back after the limited-overs series as a net bowler to help the team with preparations ended up making an unlikely Test debut in the series finale.
Replacing an injured Ravindra Jadeja, Sundar grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he came up with an all-round show to help India over the line. The 21-year-old hit 62 in the first innings as a 123-run stand with Shardul Thakur helping India recover from 186 for 6. And chipped in with a quickfire 22 in the second innings. Despite not laying a single first-class game since 2017, Sundar scalped 4 wickets to top off a picture-perfect debut.
Shailaja Sundar, Washington’s elder sister and a state cricketer, is elated for her younger brother’s success in all whites.
“The way Washi played was formidable. It didn’t look like a debutant was playing his first game. I thoroughly enjoyed his partnership with Shardul Thakur. That really turned the game in India’s favour and they went on to win the game. So happy,” Shailaja told India Today.
Washington’s life has always been around cricket
Shailaja shares that Washington has always been been drawn to cricket. And he loved playing with older boys as the challenge thrilled the young gun. She adds that the young all rounder’s work ethics is the single biggest reason behind his success lately.
“Well, I think Washington’s life has always been around cricket. Right from his childhood, he has always watched cricket on the television. He loved playing cricket alongside boys older than his age. So I think, over the years, he has learned a lot. He has been able to adapt to tougher conditions and a lot more difficult situations.“
“That was evident in the way he approached his innings. In the second innings, his partnership with Rishabh Pant was crucial. We needed some quick runs in a limited number of overs. That 50-plus partnership was very crucial. Over the years, he always made sure he is prepared for every game, no matter what level he plays. The work ethics that he has is very crucial in his successful career so far,” she concludes.
Sundar’s impressive debut in Brisbane was rewarded with a call up for the upcoming England tour at home. With Jadeja ruled out for the first two Tests of the series, Sundar is slated to play his maiden Test at home which starts in Chennai from February 5.
Also Read | Marnus Labuschagne replaces Virat Kohli in top three as Joe Root returns to top five in latest Test rankings
Stay Updated!
Anshuman Mahapatra
(1496 Articles Published)