"When pitch is offering a lot, you don’t need an artiste like Kuldeep" - Manjrekar defends Rohit's decision to play Sundar in 2nd IND vs NZ Test
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opined that common sense prevailed when skipper Rohit Sharma decided to play Washington Sundar over Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test against New Zealand. The wrist-spinner was dropped after a solitary outing and had also missed the entire two-match home series against Bangladesh recently.
Washington Sundar was not part of the initial squad. The all-rounder was called up after his heroics for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy clash against Delhi. Ahead of the match, both head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate highlighted the player's ability to take the ball away from the left-handed batters.
The New Zealand batting unit comprises of several left-handed batters, including Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner. Conway and Ravindra, in particular, punished Indian spinners in the first Test, not allowing Ashwin and Kuldeep to settle down.
"Common sense selection. In-form seamer in. When pitch is offering a lot, you don’t need an artiste like Kuldeep, a tall, quick, finger spinner will do," Manjrekar posted on X/Twitter.
The spinners are yet to come into play for India as the seamers look to make the most of the new ball after being asked to bowl first. However, the openers have looked at relative ease against Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, with not much movement on offer so far.
Washington Sundar's last Test appearance came against England in 2021
Having made his Test debut during the iconic fourth Test against Australia at The Gabba in 2021, Sundar made a strong impression. The all-rounder was touted to be a natural choice for home conditions, considering his finger spin and batting ability.
However, he has only made four appearances to date, picking up six wickets and scoring 265 runs at an average of 66.25, which includes three fifties. His last red-ball appearance for Team India came during the final Test of the home series against England in early 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where he scored an unbeaten 96 as the hosts completed a series win.