Washington couldn’t care less about labels Premium

Washington Sundar defies labels as a versatile cricketer excelling in batting, bowling, and fielding, making a remarkable Test debut.

Is Washington Sundar a top-order batter who can bowl more than handy off-spin? Is he primarily an off-spinner who is a more than capable left-handed bat? Does it really matter? Must we succumb to the desire to pigeonhole cricketers? Batting all-rounder? Bowling all-rounder? Washington Sundar couldn’t care less what the world wants to label him as.

As far as he is concerned, his job is to deliver with the bat, with the ball and in the field. All of which he did, and quite brilliantly at that, on his return to Test cricket after more than three and a half years.

It’s true that Washington started off as a top-order bat in age-group cricket in Chennai and Tamil Nadu, but for some reason, as he worked his way up the levels, it was his bowling that seemed to appeal to those that make influential decisions. When Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru procured him, for instance, the franchise captain used him as a new-ball operator in the Powerplay, though he didn’t get the same privilege under the same leader while playing for India.

In another classic case of compartmentalising players, Washington was quickly tagged a limited-overs specialist. A white-ball expert. When such perceptions emanate from the leadership group at the national level, it is impossible that they won’t trickle down to the other setups, which is why he has largely batted in the second half for either Tamil Nadu or South Zone or both.

Washington made his One-Day International and T20 debuts back in December 2017 at home against Sri Lanka, but it took a twist of fate for him to wear the India colours for the first time in Test cricket. During the Covid pandemic phase when jumbo teams were the norm because of quarantine and other restrictions, he was part of a large bunch that travelled to Australia for a full tour in 2020-21. There was no hint that he would win a Test cap until India’s players kept dropping out with the regularity of falling autumn leaves. By the time the teams arrived in Brisbane for the final Test with the series level at 1-1, the entire Indian bowling group that started the first Test in Adelaide was unavailable for selection.

Among those ruled out was Washington’s Tamil Nadu colleague and ace off-spinner R Ashwin. The latter had braved a back injury to help India stave off Australia’s victory charge in Sydney alongside another wounded warrior, Hanuma Vihari (hamstring). At the Gabba, India were clutching at straws, struggling to put 11 fit men on the park. Hence the Washington debut, a debut to remember and savour and cherish, both individually and collectively.

Washington had a terrific all-round game — three for 89 and one for 80, backed up by 62 and 22, both under extreme pressure. The first came when India were gasping at 186 for six in reply to Australia’s 369 at a venue where the hosts hadn’t been conquered for more than three decades. Enter Washington, pleasingly flowing drives and excellent defence, to thwart Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon for nearly four hours. Assured in defence and wondrous while playing his strokes, he thrilled a pro-Australian crowd at the Gabbatoir alongside Shardul Thakur, their 123-run seventh-wicket alliance taking India to within 33 of the Aussie total.