Washington Sundar added to India’s squad for the second and third Tests against New Zealand

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Washington Sundar added to India’s squad for the second and third Tests against New Zealand

BCCI selectors added Washington to India’s Test squad as its 16th member, without making any changes.

On Sunday, New Zealand completed an eight-wicket win in the first Test in Bengaluru, their first Test victory in India since 1988. The second Test is scheduled to start in Pune on October 24, and the final Test in Mumbai on November 1.

Washington has been a part of India’s white-ball squad for the past few months, but has not played Test cricket since March 2021. However, he was part of their squad in place of the injured Ravindra Jadeja during the Test series against England earlier this year. year, and is considered a long-term prospect as a spin-bowling allrounder.

He has played four Test matches so far, all in the 2020-21 season, when Jadeja, their leading spin-bowler, was injured. In those four Tests, Washington scored 265 runs, including three half-centuries, at an average of 66.25, and took six wickets with his offspin of 49.83. Initially, he played a key role in India’s win at the Gabba in January 2021, taking three wickets in the first innings and followed it up with crucial innings of 62 and 22.

At the end of the 2020-21 season, when they again impressed in a 3-1 home series win over England, then India coach Ravi Shastri told ESPNcricinfo that Washington would be “India’s Premier in all three formats” in the period future, and advised him to work on his fitness – his career has been hampered by numerous injury breaks – and bring order to domestic cricket.

In a Ranji match against Delhi, Washington batted at number 3 and made 152, his second first-class century, in Tamil Nadu’s first innings. He said that the team managers have decided to promote him, and he said that he sees himself as a player who has hit the mark.

It is not yet clear what role India has in mind for Washington in the Tests against New Zealand. They played three front spinners in Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav in Bengaluru, with Axar Patel reserved. Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar are all spinners.

Washington may have been selected as a top-order cover instead of his bowling. Going into the second Test, India are worried about their fitness with No. 3 Shubman Gill, who missed the Bengaluru Test due to neck stiffness, and Rishabh Pant, who scored twice and scored 99 in the second innings but did not keep wickets. most of the game after being hit in the right knee.

Pant had surgery on both his knees after a life-threatening car accident in December 2022, and Rohit explained that Pant had been prevented from working “to be a little more aware of where he is and what he is to us”.

Team India for the second and third Tests against New Zealand

Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.

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