Mumbai: It will be interesting to see when the Indian team management feels they need just one spinner in the side, in overseas Test matches, who will it be?
In the last five seasons, Ravindra Jadeja has been the preferred choice over R Aswhin and others.
In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy too, Jadeja was selected in the first Test when India went with only one spinner. The left-arm spinner didn’t get a wicket in the second innings of the Leed’s game and for the second and third Tests, captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir, added Washington Sundar also to their eleven.
Jadeja has been very consistent with the bat, with four half-centuries, but has just three wickets to show for in six innings, with his lack of success on the final day in the opening Test defeat, quite glaring.
Washington, on the other hand, has been making an impact as a bowler. After providing an important breakthrough in the second innings of the second Test at Edgbaston by claiming the scalp of a well-set Ben Stokes (33 runs) to break his partnership with Jamie Smith, the off-spinner produced an incisive spell in the second innings of the Lord’s Test for a four-wicket haul for just 22 runs.
With wickets of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith, obviously the Tamil Nadu spinner has made the experts sit up and take notice. Jadeja has been bowling with a better plan since the first Test flop show, but Washington is the spinner that has the England camp worried. Coach Gambhir has been quite impressed by the tall off-spinner since he took a 11-wicket match haul against New Zealand in Pune.
In the previous series when India played Australia at Perth, Washington was the lone spinner picked in the eleven ahead of seniors Jadeja and R Ashwin. Jadeja returned to the side during the Border-Gavaskar series to play three Tests and has played all the first three Tests in England. But after Washington’s superb showing at Lord’s, on current bowling form he has a strong case for being in the playing XI if India opt for only one spinner.
Kuldeep Yadav could well come into the equation ahead of both of these all-rounders but that will be only when India are convinced of the benefits of a completely attacking option at their captain’s disposal. Otherwise, they see merit in having an all-rounder for better balance for the side.
“Washington has got that potential to be a really good bowler for India. Right now we are not seeing many off-spinners in India, he is one of the rare breeds and we can build on that,” said former India off-spinner Arshad Ayub, spelling out the areas of his strength and where the bowler can get better.
“He is very accurate with a very high arm action. He delivers at the right point because of that he gets a little extra bounce. He bowled quite impressively in the Lord’s match, keeping the runs down and was accurate. He has the potential to become a really good off-spinner,” added Ayub, who played a few seasons of league cricket in the Lancashire area, the venue of the fourth Test.
Ayub, who took 41 wickets in 13 Tests during his career, feels a change in Washington’s wrist position will make him even more effective.
“Washington can become a really good bowler as he goes on. One thing is certain he needs to change a little of his wrist position. He spins the ball from behind and the wrist is facing him, but he turns down the wrist. I feel if the wrist is facing towards the mid-on region, he will get a little more zip through the side of the ball, which will give him a good seam position.
“He is very accurate and this (change) will give him the loop which is required and he will get the turn which is required along with the loop.”
With India’s pace plan in disarray following a series of injuries, the team will obviously look up to their spinners to play a bigger role in the Manchester Test. As per reports, the venue is known to offer some extra help to the tweakers. Washington does have some understanding of the conditions at Old Trafford having played for Lancashire in the 2022 season.
Ayub said it’s important to back Washington.
“He fields well, he bats well, he has the making of a genuine all-rounder. In time to come if you don’t experiment too much with him, and allow him to settle down he will give India returns of a good bowler.”