India have called up an all-rounder for last 2 Tests. Photo: BCCI
India have made a big addition to their Test squad for the last two games against New Zealand and called up all-rounder Washington Sundar. The selection committee made the addition few hours after India's shocking defeat in the Bengaluru Test match. Sundar's addition to the Test squad has seemingly confirmed that the Pune track will be a rank-turner and India might go in with three or maybe four spin-bowling all-rounders.
Sundar is also an all-rounder and he can make vital contributions with the bat too. The left-handed batsman scored a brilliant 152 off 269 balls in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Delhi. Sundar is expected to leave for Pune after the end of the game.
R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are confirmed selections in the playing XI while Sundar's addition hints that he will walk into the final XI. Axar Patel, who was benched for the Bengaluru Test, could be the fourth all-rounder if India include 4 spin-bowling all-rounders.
Kuldeep Yadav could lose his spot. Jasprit Bumrah could be the sole pacer in the playing XI if the pitch is a rank-turner.
Washington Sundar was star of India's Gabba win
Sundar was one of India's star performers in the Gabba Test match against Australia in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The youngster made his debut in Gabba and scalped 3 wickets in the first innings.
Sundar and Shardul Thakur took over the charge when India were reeling at 186/6 and added 123 runs for the seventh wicket. Sundar scored 62 while Shardul played a vital 67-run knock. Sundar scalped the key wicket of David Warner in Australia's second innings. He scored 22 off 29 balls in the chase to the target of 328.
Sundar only played three more Tests after his heroics in Gabba. He has 265 runs and 6 wickets in red-ball cricket. Sundar's tally includes three half-centuries. Sundar ran out of partners in the first Test against England in Chennai and remained unbeaten on 85. The same thing happened in Ahmedabad later in the series and he was left stranded on 96.
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