Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has raised a question about Washington Sundar, who was promoted to bat at No. 3 in the first Test between India and South Africa in Kolkata earlier this month.
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 one down spot in the previous Test series against the West Indies, and promoted Sundar in his place.
While Sundar scored 29 and 31 across two innings of Kolkata Test, he barely featured with the ball – delivering just one over in the first innings and not bowling at all in the second.
Sundar's bowling abilities will get sidelined if he doesn’t deliver more than 30 overs in a match, reckons Harbhajan.
After India conceded the Test series 0-2 to Proteas at home, Harbhajan claimed that the side lacks a specialist off-spinner in the format and requested a greater workload for Sundar.
“Looks like (India don’t have a specialist right-arm off-spinner for Tests). I think Washington Sundar is there, but we will have to bowl him more. He will have to be bowled for 30-35 overs in a Test to make a bowler out of him,” Harbhajan said while speaking to PTI.
He reiterated that India must move away from preparing rank turners for home Tests. “The kind of pitches we have been playing on, there is no requirement of making a bowler out of anyone because every delivery spins or some straightens," Harbhajan stated.
“A bowler can (only) be considered good when he takes wickets on good pitches," Harbhajan added.
India lost the opening Test at Eden Gardens by 30 runs, failing to chase a modest target of 124 on a crumbling surface. In the second Test at Guwahati, the Indian batters succumbed to scoreboard pressure on a flat wicket as the hosts were bowled out for 201 and 140 across two innings.
Harbhajan argued that it is time for India to prepare better Test pitches as the development of nation’s red-ball cricketers has stuck because of the reliance on rank turners at home.
“We should play on good cricket pitches; it is high time," Harbhajan said.
