Washington Sundar reflected on his experience of playing under Gautam Gambhir’s guidance following his breakthrough performance in the Test series against England.
Gambhir backed Sundar in the crucial series and picked him over Kuldeep Yadav to strengthen the depth in the batting. The all-rounder lived up to expectations and scored 284 runs in the 4 Tests he played at an average of 47.33. The left-handed batter played a crucial role in helping India draw the Manchester Test with his maiden Test century. He proved his batting prowess time and again as Gambhir’s decision to pick him over Kuldeep turned out to be a successful one.
With the conditions offering assistance for fast bowlers, Sundar had limited opportunities with the ball, but made the most of them, finishing with seven wickets at an average of 38.57.
Sundar talked about playing under Gambhir’s guidance and expressed satisfaction at seeing him happy after the series’ end.
“100%, he also No. 5 on the back of his jersey. And obviously he was a left hander, who was extremely elegant. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was bowling to him in the IPL. He was someone who was super successful against me, but he is an amazing human being. He has had so much faith in all of us that we would fight at all times and win the game. Really glad to see him happy at the end of the series,” Sundar told Wisden.
Before the start of the series, Gambhir was facing scrutiny for the Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. But he managed to silence his critics by guiding a young Indian team to a 2-2 series draw. Shubman Gill and Co. put up a spirited performance and snatched a win from the jaws of defeat at the Oval by 6 runs to draw the series.
“Gambhir, Gill have a lot of belief in their players”
Sundar also shared his view on the Gambhir-Gill partnership, noting that their unwavering trust in the players paid off brilliantly.
“Credit to them for having such a calm dressing room throughout the series. Their communication was precise and clear on what was expected. Both of them have a lot of belief in their players and that really helps in the bigger picture,” said Sundar.