"An opportunity served on the platter" - Fans react as Washington Sundar makes ODI comeback in IND vs SL Asia Cup 2023 final
All-rounder Washington Sundar made a comeback into the Indian playing XI for the Asia Cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka at R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
It was a lucky break for him as he was not in the original squad until yesterday. Axar Patel suffered a quadricep injury while batting against Bangladesh, which ruled him out of the final. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then named Sundar as his replacement and flew him to Colombo on Saturday.
Washington Sundar was straight away roped into the playing XI for Sunday's final as the third spinning option on a dry pitch. It is a golden chance for him to showcase his talent ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup. He can be a potential option for the mega tournament if Axar Patel misses out.
Fans expressed divided reactions to Sundar's inclusion in the team. Some were happy to see him as he would offer variety to the bowling attack with his off-spin. Few of them wanted Ravichandran Ashwin in his place.
Here are some of the top reactions on X (formerly known as Twitter):
I think we can expect a really good game of cricket today - India head coach Rahul Dravid ahead of the Asia Cup final
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid anticipated a good contest between both teams on Sunday in the Asia Cup final. He reflected on the tournament so far, ahead of the final on Sunday, and said:
"I think we can expect a really good game of cricket today. The weather should be good and the pitch is looking like a more than decent one for a final. I thought we played really well against Sri Lanka. We were able to get some vital runs on the board and then, defended a low-ish total pretty clinically.
On tackling injury issues, Dravid added:
"I think all the teams are in the same position when it comes to the players available and the injuries, it's a slightly interesting situation with some players requiring more game time and some requiring rest before the World Cup. We still have 4 games to go before the tournament, so, will be taking it accordingly."
Does Washington Sundar deserves a place in India's playing XI? Let us know in the comment section.