"When I Saw Him...": Ravi Shastri Backs Gautam Gambhir's Pick Amid Kuldeep Yadav Chatter

NDTV

23-07-2025

Former cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind young Washington Sundar to be a "genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India". Sundar is slowly emerging as a familiar face across different formats of the game under the regime of head coach Gautam Gambhir. The sudden rise in Sundar's stock is attributed to Gambhir's backing of the 25-year-old over the last few months. Even former India spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that Gambhir highly rates Sundar.
With the number of opportunities that have come Sundar's way, the southpaw has latched on to every single one of them. Sundar conjured a composed 23 (76) with his robust technique in the first innings. While in the second, he weaved magic with his craft and returned with figures of 4/22 in 12.1 overs, but it wasn't enough to save India from a bitter 22-run defeat.
Shastri, who saw Sundar dazzling at the crease with his multi-dimensional skills, advocated for him to grow into a genuine all-rounder in the longest format of cricket for many years to come.
"I always loved Washington. When I saw him on day one, I said he's the man. And he can be a genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India," Shastri said on The ICC Review.
Sundar first burst onto the Test scene during India's fabled win in 2021 against Australia at the Gabba. However, after the conclusion of the series, opportunities for Sundar dried up and remained limited in red-ball cricket. Shastri hopes Sundar gets more game time, citing his past exploits and his capability to wreak havoc on turning tracks.
"He again is just 25 years of age. I think he should have played a lot more Test cricket. Can be lethal in India on tracks where the ball is turning, as New Zealand found out when they played against India. (during NZ's tour of India in 2024, where he was the joint top wicket taker, picking 16 wickets in four innings.). He out-bowled some of the senior spinners. He bowled that well, and he can bat," he added.
When Sundar made his debut, India were battling with injuries. Shastri served as India's head coach during that period and turned to Sundar for the Gabba Test. He notched a fluent 62 under pressure in his very first innings and played a pivotal role in India's historic win.
He topped up his batting masterclass with sizzling unbeaten knocks of 85 and 96 in subsequent series against England at home. Even after batting at No.7 or lower in 10 of his 11 Test appearances, Sundar boasts an average of 38.92, laced with four half-centuries.
"He's a naturally talented batsman. He's no number 8. He can go at six very soon in the batting lineup. He's a naturally talented batsman," Shastri said.
Shastri doesn't believe that Sundar's impact will be limited to the sub-continent. He expects the youngster to be an asset for India in overseas conditions, considering he scythed priceless wickets of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith at Lord's.
"And once he gains confidence, I think he'll get better and better because even overseas he's got the drift, he's got the pace, he's got the strength in his fingers and the fitness. You know, do both long spells and do the controlling job when needed," he added.
Sundar's inclusion has added an extra layer of depth to India's batting unit, while providing an additional bowling option. It remains to be seen if India tinkers with the setup to accommodate wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the fourth Test in Manchester against England.
India's squad for the fourth Test: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.
England's playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.