The outcome of the New Zealand ODIs didn’t go India’s way but the Men in Blue return with a lot of positives. The series was deeply marred by bad weather, but the visitors managed to get the best out of some youngsters. All-rounder Washington Sundar was one such player who left a superb impression with his game, predominantly with the bat in hand. And since, the 2023 World Cup is around the corner, the Tamil Nadu cricketer is being seen as one of the top contenders to make it to the final 15.
India batted for two full innings in the ODI series and whenever the top-order batters faltered, Sundar was there to the rescue. In Auckland, his 16-ball 37 not-out cameo helped India post 306 on the board. In the final face-off, he notched up his maiden ODI fifty, top-scoring with a 64-ball 51 not-out in India’s total of 219.
Sundar may not have bagged any wickets but was the most economical among all. As he remains a part of the squad for the Bangladesh ODIs as well, former India selector Saba Karim feels that he could be an asset for India in the lower-order.
“I would still stick at number seven for Washi (Washington) Sundar because I look at him as a bowling all-rounder, he can be a wonderful asset for the Indian side. That really lengthens the batting and helps the team to go hard in the middle overs knowing that you have Washington Sundar coming at number seven or eight, depending upon the team’s composition,” Karim was quoted as saying by IANS.
Left-arm spin all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed is also a part of the touring party after coming in as injured Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement. Karim opined he can be a good fit for the Indian team with his all-around abilities.
“I look at him as a viable alternative as a batting all-rounder. On one hand, you have Hardik Pandya, who is a batting all-rounder and can bowl seam-up. I then look at Shahbaz Ahmed as a batting all-rounder who can bowl left-arm spin.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Points Table | FIFA World Cup 2022 Schedule | FIFA World Cup 2022 Results | FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Boot
“Depending on the combination, you can easily fit him in because the kind of performances he has put in for India A and Bengal for the past two, or three seasons have been massive. I am sure he will get more opportunities at the international level and will deliver some stellar performances,” Karim added.
(With IANS Inputs)
Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here
Comments
0 comment