The allrounder impressed with his technique against spin in the first Test but will he get a longer run as a specialist No.3 batter? If he does, will India be compromising on his bowling abilities?There was a time in his career when former England batter Kevin Pietersen was struggling to play spin. He sought out batting legend Rahul Dravid, who suggested that he should try and play England spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann on the front foot, wearing only a knee guard, in the nets.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
It was to ensure that ‘KP’ always defended with the bat in front of his pad. Current Team India coach Gautam Gambhir might have taken a cue from his predecessor when he asked Sai Sudharsan to play at the Eden Gardens nets on Tuesday without a back pad against spin. It’s Sai’s tendency to compulsively go on the back foot against spin that Gambhir wanted to curb. Against Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer on a turner, it can be fatal and quite clearly, the coach has him in his thoughts for the first XI in the second Test that starts in Barsapara, Guwahati, on Saturday.The big question that arises if Sai is included in the XI concerns another promising cricketer — Washington Sundar, who impressed with his technique against spin on a raging turner in the first Test at the Eden Gardens. If Sai is slotted back in his usual No. 3 spot, what happens to Sundar, who showed glimpses in Kolkata of playing spin impressively well on the front foot?Washington, on a very difficult pitch, lasted 82 and 92 balls across the two innings, scoring 29 and 31 respectively. Gambhir said in the press conference after the match that he was very impressed with the way the tall southpaw batted. In the second innings, Washington’s ability to play with a long stride forward and blunt the spin that was on offer from the South African spinners must have impressed the coach, who has been left desperately looking for answers after the humbling defeat in the series opener.
Former Test opener and senior coach WV Raman, who has seen ‘Washy’ mature as a top-level cricketer, feels the left-hander still has chinks in his technique against spin — he takes a big stride forward but tends to play from the crease. “Sometimes a very long stride on a turner can be counterproductive. My suggestion is to take a half-stride, gauge the length and play accordingly. Having said that, I think Washy has the most water-tight technique among the toporder batters in the Indian team,” Raman told TOI. But if Sai plays, Washy will once again have to move down the order, something that Raman says he doesn’t want. “I am all for Sai playing, he is also a very good and sincere batter. But we should try and find a permanent slot for Washy at the top of the order. He needs that confidence and if he gets that, I think he will prosper,” Raman added.Gambhir has been slightly impatient with his No. 3 batter since the time he took over as coach. In a way, his hands were tied because Shubman Gill, who was first-choice No. 3, wanted to become the new No. 4 after Virat Kohli’s retirement and the skipper was allowed to take that slot, given his current stature.
Sai was Team India’s first-choice No. 3 once Gill went down one spot but in England, Karun Nair played a couple of Tests in that slot when the Tamil Nadu player was dropped. Against the West Indies in New Delhi, Sai got 87 and 39. Raman feels the southpaw has worked pretty hard on his frontfoot game. “You can see that he is getting better and it’s not an easy choice for the team management to take a call on the No. 3, given the way Washy batted as well,” Raman said.The question also needs to be raised whether, in India’s desperation to make Washy a top-order batter, they will compromise on his bowling abilities. He bowled only one over in the Kolkata Test and Raman certainly feels he is much better than that.“Washington is not a before-lunch change bowler, he is an extremely capable off-spinner. Having said that, he is essentially a top-order batter who bowls. The team should groom him that way,” Raman added.
