India ‘wasting time’ with revolving door at no. 3 for Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan: ‘Last 6-7 months were futile’
Gautam Gambhir's selections during transition have posed more questions than answers, with the choice to play Sundar at no. 3 proving to be a controversial one.
Over a year into his tenure as the head coach for the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir hasn’t seemed to settle on the right combination for the red-ball team he has inherited. There have certainly been retirements and injuries which have hampered his ability to play a full-strength team as India undergo a transition, but that hasn’t shielded him from criticism for some of the tactical decisions on the pitch.
Most recently, this included the combination for the opening loss vs South Africa in Kolkata, as India opted for four spinners with Washington Sundar batting at number three ahead of a specialist batter. With Sai Sudharsan seemingly the choice for the role but dropped out of the blue despite improving performances in the format, it was a head-scratcher, since Sundar does provide flexibility and the doggedness that quality number three batters need to possess.
‘Were we just wasting time with Sudharsan and Nair?’
Speaking to the press during a JioStar media day ahead of the second Test of the India vs South Africa series, Aakash Chopra reflected on Sundar batting in a position that is usually the reserve of the best batters in a Test team.
“Washington Sundar has presented himself as a phenomenal option who can bat at the top of the order, and of course is a more than handy bowler,” said Chopra. “The bigger question that Gautam and the team management need to answer is are we going to keep changing goalposts after every series?”
“When we came to India, Sai Sudharsan was given an opportunity and he grabbed it with both hands against the West Indies in Delhi, scoring 87 and 39,” said Chopra of Sudharsan, who has registered a couple of half-centuries but didn’t manage to big score needed to kickstart his Test career.
“You’re well within your rights to go with Washington, but if Washi is your long term choice, then were we just wasting time with Sai Sudharsan or even Karun Nair to bat at 3?” questioned Chopra.
‘You didn’t really gain anything from it…'
He went on to explain that number three is a position where you need specialist batters simply because of the focus it requires, with the all-rounder’s added responsibilities making it a tougher role for him to play.
“You would first want to prioritise the batting capabilities, not only the skill but also the temperament and the patience and the ability to bat time... That is why you look for the purest specialists who have only one job to do. Your top 4 or 5 are there just to bat and nothing else.”
“If you choose Washington Sundar as a batter, fair enough, but it just feels like the last six or seven months were futile and you didn’t really gain anything from it,” said Chopra, posing the challenge to Gambhir regarding the revolving door he has used at an absolutely integral position in the team. “What message do you give to Sai Sudharsan that we gave you a chance, you scored the runs, but we had a change of heart… transition gives you the chance to experiment, but what makes it easier is clarity and consistency.”
India’s choice at number three in the Guwahati Test could be decisive, especially with Shubman Gill likely injured and missing. Gautam Gambhir’s hand might be forced into bringing in additional reinforcement in the form of frontline batters for the top order.
