Sundar made 29 and 31 at no.3 spot in first Test against South Africa.
Former India keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has raised a question about Washington Sundar, who was promoted to the no. 3 spot in the recent first Test between India and South Africa that was played in Kolkata.
To accommodate Kuldeep Yadav and extend the batting lineup, the Indian team management, led by coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, decided to drop Sai Sudharsan, who had batted at no. 3 in the recent Test series against the West Indies, and promoted Washington Sundar in his place.
Washington Sundar's primary skill set may be disrupted by moving him up to No. 3, according to veteran wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik, who cautioned that such a batting-heavy schedule may unavoidably eat into the time and concentration needed to hone his bowling in Test cricket.
“Where is Washington Sundar, the Test player, being looked at? Is he a bowler who can bat? Now, if you are sending him at three, you are almost telling him that he needs to focus a lot more on batting. The moment he starts spending those long hours batting in practice, you tend to reduce your practice for bowling because it is physically impossible to be good at both," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Sundar made 29 and 31 as India went down by 30 runs to South Africa, getting bowled out for 93 in chase of 123 runs. But while his batting contributions stood out, his impact with the ball was minimal—just a solitary over in the first innings and none in the second.
Karthik also cautioned that India's selection comes with a definite expectation of big runs from Sundar at No. 3, which he believes may eventually affect the all-rounder's bowling rhythm and long-term growth.
“So, the message is very straightforward that we are looking at big runs from you. This could affect his bowling in the long run. It is a very tricky one,” said Karthik.
It remains to be seen whether Washington Sundar will continue at the no. 3 spot when India takes on South Africa in the second Test of the series in Guwahati from November 22.