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Team India all-rounder Washington Sundar's father, M. Sundar, has lashed out at the Indian team management and the selectors for nlot giving his son enough chances. Sundar turned out to be one of the heroes for India in the recently concluded Manchester Test against England as his maiden Test century helped the visitors pull off a spirited draw.
Sundar slammed a brilliant knock of unbeaten 101 runs in India's second innings and combined with fellow centurion Ravindra Jadeja to share an unbeaten 203-run stand for the fifth wicket. Jadeja and Sundar's heroics saw India comfortably see out entire Day 5 despite having lost KL Rahul and Shubman Gill in the first session.
The draw in the 5th Test meant England were denied a series victory in Manchester, keeping India on track to level the series in the fifth and final Test at the Kennington Oval in London. Speaking after his son's maiden Test hundred against England, Sundar's father said his son should get regular opportunities for the national team and should bat at no.5 like he did in the Manchester Test.
"Washington has been doing very well consistently. However, people tend to avoid and forget his performances. Other players get regular chances, only my son doesn't get them," M. Sundar told The Times of India.
"Washington should consistently bat at number five like he did in the second innings of the fourth Test and get five to ten straight chances. My son was surprisingly not picked for the first Test against England. The selectors should watch his performances," he added.
Sundar's father also highlighted how the all-rounder was dropped from the Indian Test team despite his consistent returns with the bat in 2021. Sundar slammed a brilliant knock of unbeaten 85 on a challenging surface in the Chennai Test against England in 2021, followed by an unbeaten 96 against the visitors in Ahmedabad. However, he was left out of the Test squad and played his next game in the whites after three years in October 2024.
"My son gets dropped even if he fails in just one or two matches. It is not fair. Washington scored an unbeaten 85 on a rank turner in Chennai against England back in 2021 and 96* against the same opposition in Ahmedabad during the same year," said M. Sundar.
Despite having made his Test debut in 2021, Sundar, who is regarded as a strong contender for being a long-term all-rounder for India in Tests, has managed to play only 12 Tests for the country. The Tamil Nadu cricketer has 32 wickets and 673 runs to his name in 12 Tests at an impressive average of over 44, including 4 fifties and a solitary hundred.
Sundar, who has been backed by the team management over Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI, will look to continue his fine form with the bat and the ball in the must-win 5th Test against England at the Kennington Oval in London. Sundar has so far notched up 215 runs and picked up 7 wickets in three matches in the ongoing Test series against England and has repaid the faith shown in him by the team management.
