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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Washington Sundar's sister Shailaja reveals how they build good partnerships: ‘Open the innings for our team…I'm a right-hander and he's a left-hander'
One of the revelations of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar trophy has been Washington Sundar. The all-rounder bowled crucial spells through the series and also chipped in with important cameos with the bat. His sister Shailaja Sundar revealed how thankful they were for Head Coach Gautam Gambhir in giving Sundar the opportunity, and she also recalled the memories of them playing as a team. 'We used to play together and open the innings for our team', she said. 'I'm a right-hander and he's a left-hander. The right-left combination used to work. We used to build really good partnerships. All of those are lovely memories now,' Shailaja said speaking on NDTV podcast. The stats have already been indicating Washington at 25 has been the best in extracting the drift, Raju believes he can get even better from here on. 'If he bowls a lot in domestic cricket or in the net session. Consistency will improve. On a sub-continent Indian wicket, not a problem. There will be little help for Spin. So, he was quite decent when he played in Australia. But he didn't get much to bowl. The more he bowls, he will be a better bowler.' And that can only be good news for India as by the time they travel to a proper full tour overseas, Washington can be the leading spin allrounder of the team. According to Cricviz, it is the drift that has been the most potent weapon for spinners to pick wickets in England and since 2006 among all the spinners bowled in England, it is Washington who has been able to get the maximum amount of it. (2.7 degrees). 'It's all about how you finish (bowling action), how you release. A little more early release. Then you're giving more repetition, it is how you use your body to get that revolution,' says Raju.
Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Revelation of the England tour: How Washington Sundar ‘drifted' to become India's spin allrounder
The last series in Australia had given India the hope that Washington Sundar can be played as the spin allrounder overseas along with Ravindra Jadeja, but there still was one puzzle left in his art that was to be cracked. His batting wasn't in doubt, but could he replicate his bowling skills overseas – at the level he showed to outperform R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja at home against New Zealand. This England series was the lab test for that. If he could, then India could play him, and not Kuldeep Yadav, and strengthen their lower-order batting in the process. By the end of the England tour, he had shown the management that he could be trusted, proving himself to be one of the finds of the series. It's the drift he gets that has propelled his success. He isn't a big turner of the ball, but in conditions largely prevalent outside the subcontinent, not many spinners are going to get too much turn, and he has weaponised his drift to a great effect. Two dismissals spring to the mind right away— the stranding of Harry Brook and the trapping of Ben Stokes. On the final day of the second Test, Washington had cracked open the game – and hence the series – by removing Stokes just before lunch with a beaut. It drifted in air from round the stumps alarmingly from well outside off to leave Stokes so bewildered that he opted for DRS even though the reviews showed it would be hitting the middle stump. According to Cricviz's data, that ball drifted the most in the air in Tests in England among the 912 wickets they have data for spinners. India went to win that Test and stay alive in the series. In the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Harry Brook casually danced down the track with an attacking intention. What could have happened on a pitch that was offering next to nothing? But the Indian off-spinner had other plans in mind. Using his long fingers, he gave the ball enough revs to spin it like a top. It went past the outside edge of Brook after pitching, drifting away from the batter, and keeper Dhruv Jurel took care of the rest. These two occasions weren't isolated incidents when Washington completely outsmarted batters with his drift, as 4/22 at Lord's in the third Test was Chef Washington's special. He bamboozled the English batters in the air even before the ball kissed the turf. Even one of England's best playing spinners, Joe Root, had no answers to his mastery with drift as he misjudged the delivery while trying to play his go-to shot against spin, which is sweep and was bowled. If the one for Brook went away, the one for Root drifted back in. So what exactly is drift? We turned to a former spinner in Venkatapathy Raju to understand the mechanics of it and a former batsman in Saba Karim to learn the difficulties in facing it. 'A ball is travelling towards you, and slowly it just tends to float away from you,' says Saba Karim. 'If a right-arm off-spinner can generate drift, then from my eye line, it will go away,' says Karim. And the one which doesn't have enough drift to take the ball away from the batter goes with the angle, as it happened in the case of Root. Raju explains how that drift is achieved. He should know as he had produced one of the great deliveries bowled by an Indian spinner in Australia, when he hoodwinked that great player of spin bowling Mark Waugh in an ODI in 1992. He had lured Waugh out with his flight, then sucked him into trying to flick the ball by the extent of his inward drift before leaving him stranded by the sharp spin. Interestingly, Raju cues up the role of the non-bowling arm. 'The non-bowling arm (the left hand in Washington's case), the higher it goes, your circle is. Circle means the angle between two hands. You get the full rotation of the hands which gives more arc. With that arc, it drifts out the ball. He can get more revolutions on the ball as he has got good high arm action. And that body is transforming right towards the target,' Raju tells this paper. The spinners call it timing, just as the term is used by the batsmen. The great off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna would often talk about the timing of the weight transfer. 'You transfer the weight at the release of the ball, at the highest point (of your arm). Your weight has to go into the ball so that the ball traverses that distance,' Prasanna would say. Then comes the effect of the breeze. 'You have to assess which end the breeze is coming in. The air will push the ball from right to left right? That is where you have to get that proper trajectory to get that drift,' says Raju. The greater the humidity, the more pressure on the ball, hence more drift. 'Most of the grounds in India are big and fully covered, no? So that's why the breeze is totally different. You don't get that sideways breeze much whereas in England, the stadiums are smaller, more open, allowing the breeze. The weather is also totally different. They got more humidity. But then it's 25 to 26 degrees only. When it's cloudy, there's more air, right?' Raju explains. In addition to the atmospheric conditions, it also comes down to the way the ball is maintained. Speaking to Star Sports, Washington acknowledged the role of KL Rahul in keeping the ball shining on one side and letting it get older on the other side. The condition of the ball dictates the direction the ball will drift. According to Cricviz, it is the drift that has been the most potent weapon for spinners to pick wickets in England and since 2006 among all the spinners bowled in England, it is Washington who has been able to get the maximum amount of it. (2.7 degrees). 'It's all about how you finish (bowling action), how you release. A little more early release. Then you're giving more repetition, it is how you use your body to get that revolution,' says Raju. While the stats have already been indicating Washington at 25 has been the best in extracting the drift, Raju believes he can get even better from here on. 'If he bowls a lot in domestic cricket or in the net session. Consistency will improve. On a sub-continent Indian wicket, not a problem. There will be little help for Spin. So, he was quite decent when he played in Australia. But he didn't get much to bowl. The more he bowls, he will be a better bowler.' And that can only be good news for India as by the time they travel to a proper full tour overseas, Washington can be the leading spin allrounder of the team.
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Shubman Gill does what no other Asian captain could do in history of cricket. Gavaskar, Kohli, Ganguly not even close
Shubman Gill did what no other Asian captain could ever do in a Test match in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries. Coming in to bat at No.4 after England captain Ben Stokes sent India in, Shubman Gill became the first Asian captain to score a double century in SENA counties. No other Asian captain has a double hundred in SENA countries. Gill broke former Sri Lanka opener Tilakaratne Dilshan's record for the highest score by an Asian captain in SENA countries. Dilshan had scored 193 against England at Lord's in 2011. India's captain Shubman Gill celebrates after scoring a double century on day two of the second cricket test match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)(AP) The likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma didn't even come close. It was also Gill's maiden double hundred in Test cricket. The Indian captain, who celebrated his century on Day 1 with a Virat Kohli-like roar, got to his double century in the second session on Day 2 of the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Gavaskar's highest score as an Indian captain in England is only 48. The legendary cricketer, however, has a double century in England when he was not a captain. Needless to say, Shubman Gill also broke Mohammed Azharuddin's long-standing record for the highest score by an Indian captain in SENA counties. Azharuddin held the record for 35 years for the 192-run knock he played against New Zealand in 1990. Azharuddin also held the highest score by an Indian captain in England. He had smashed 179 in Manchester in 1990. Gill, incidentally, is only the second Indian captain after Azharuddin to go past the 150-run mark in England. Kohli's highest score as Indian captain in England was 149 at the same venue in 2018. Gill, whose highest score came in the first Test in Leeds with a 147-run knock, got to his landmark with a single off Josh Tongue. Shubman Gill's double hundred is only the second one by an India captain in an overseas Test, after Virat Kohli's 200 at North Sound in 2016. Gill's innings was not only fluent but statistically precise. According to Cricviz, his false shot percentage on Day 1 was just 3.5%, the lowest ever recorded for a century in England since the analytics firm began keeping records in 2006. The average for centuries in England is 12%. India resumed the day on 310-5, with Gill unbeaten on 114 and Jadeja on 41. The pair batted confidently in ideal sunny conditions, with Jadeja reaching his half-century in style and celebrating with his signature 'sword dance' to the delight of a vocal Indian crowd. England captain Ben Stokes employed increasingly unorthodox tactics to break the stand, introducing off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and setting funky fields, including a 6-3 leg-side trap for pacer Brydon Carse. But Gill and Jadeja countered confidently, especially when Gill brought up his 150 in 263 balls and then reverse-swept Bashir for four. Moments later, Jadeja launched Bashir for six to bring up India's 400, and Gill slog-swept another to bring up the 200-run partnership—a statement of dominance on a good batting pitch.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘The top hand is now in control': Ravi Shastri lauds captain Shubman Gill's technical tweaks after Edgbaston century
India captain Shubman Gill put on a stoic presence at the crease on day 1 of the second Test against England, hours after social media and experts had slammed the team management for going in with a defensive XI, leaving out Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav at Edgbaston. Put in to bat on another flat deck, India were troubled by wickets at regular intervals as KL Rahul (2), Karun Nair (31), Rishabh Pant (25), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1) failed to cash in on the conditions. After Yashasvi Jaiswal stormed his way to 87 before missing out on a cut shot, it was captain Gill who absorbed all the heat and pressure to waltz his way to his second century in successive matches as India's Test captain. The 25-year-old Gill is only the fourth Indian captain to record centuries in consecutive matches from his captaincy debut after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli. Gill is also only the fifth Indian to score a century at Edgbaston after Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli, Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri observed the technical adjustments Gill has incorporated into his game for the series, after having started his captaincy stint with a magnificent 147 in the first innings at Headingley last week. From the podium to the pitch, ft. Shubman Gill#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @ShubmanGill — BCCI (@BCCI) July 3, 2025 'Gill's performance was superb. It was disciplined, he looked solid, looked fantastic. He has worked hard on his defence. When he last came to England, he played with hard hands, pushed at the ball, but now, the top hand is in control. He allows the ball to come to him, trusts in his defence and has all the shots in the book when he goes on the attack,' said Shastri on Sky Sports. Gill remained not out on 114 of 216 balls with 12 centuries. According to Cricviz, no century in Tests in England had a better control rate while reaching the three-figure mark since records began in 2006. Gill's unbroken 99-run partnership with Jadeja (47 not out) meant that India had moved up to 310 for five at the close of play. Former England captain Michael Vaughan also said that despite the defensive make-up of India's XI, putting on a score north of 450 in the first essay is the visitors' best chance of fighting for a win. 'Shubman Gill said he'd have bowled but I think this is the way India can beat England – if they score 450. India should've won the first Test match if they held their chances. India are doing what they need to do to win this game. England bowled well enough to get two or three more wickets but the rub of the green with the umpire's calls has gone the way of India. This is a flat wicket and there's not a lot there for the seamers or spinners and England should score a lot on here if it doesn't crack,' said Vaughan.
BBC News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Mandhana makes sublime century as India target 200 in first T20
Update: Date: 15.3 overs Title: Ind 166-1 Content: Smriti Mandhana rocks on her heels and hooks a Lauren Bell India have feasted on the low-hanging fruit from England's attack. Mandhana moves to 96. Update: Date: 15:46 BST Title: How's stat?! Content: Kieran ParmleyCricviz analyst This is Smriti Mandhana's highest score in T20Is, going past her previous best of 87 against Ireland during the 2023 T20 World Cup. Update: Date: 15:46 BST Title: Post Content: Alex HartleyFormer England bowler on BBC Test Match Special England lose games when they are under pressure, it has been a problem for a number of years. It is clearly a great pitch to bat on but one wicket could change it. Update: Date: 15 overs Title: Ind 160-1 Content: Smriti Mandhana is unbeaten on 90 now off 47 balls. Harleen Deoli is 43 not out off 22 balls. Update: Date: 15:45 BST Title: How's stat?! Content: Kieran ParmleyCricviz analyst Indian batters sweeping and coming down the pitch in this innings: Update: Date: 14.3 overs Title: Ind 157-1 Content: India have not taken their foot off the pedal here and an absolute masterclass from Smriti Mandhana. The India stand-in skipper heaves Lauren Filer for four through square leg and then thrashes the England quick through the covers for back-to-back boundaries. England look on their last legs, and we have just over five overs left here. Update: Date: 15:42 BST Title: Post Content: WinViz is only going in one direction at the moment. A reminder that England started the game at 79%. Update: Date: 15:42 BST Title: Post Content: Katherine Sciver-BruntEx-England bowler on BBC Sport commentary Sophie Ecclestone has a huge array of different balls going on here. The plan isn't that clear to me. It's making me wonder where her head is at, at the moment. I would say that's her done for the day. Update: Date: 14 overs Title: Ind 148-1 Content: A bit more like it from Sophie Ecclestone from her first three deliveries as she restricts India's batters to three singles. Harleen Deol sweeps her fourth delivery for four, then Smriti Mandhana finishes the cover with a shot inside out through cover. 12 runs off Ecclestone's over. Update: Date: 13 overs Title: Ind 136-1 Content: Sophie Ecclestone back for her second over. She'll hope it isn't as expensive as the 19 off her first. Update: Date: 15:38 BST Title: Post Content: Katherine Sciver-BruntEx-England bowler on BBC Sport commentary For England, the spinners have got to bowl at the stumps. The seamers are struggling and they need to introduce their slower balls and bouncers in a good fashion. At the moment, this is continuing to help India feel invincible. Update: Date: 13 overs Title: Ind 136-1 Content: Danni Wyatt-Hodge partially amends for that earlier drop, to a degree. Wyatt-Hodge makes up good ground on the boundary and slaps the ball back to prevent a four after Smriti Mandhana whipped it over square leg. A couple of balls later and Harleen Deol thumps Arlott for four through the covers. Update: Date: 12 overs Title: Ind 125-1 Content: This video can not be played Mandhana 'walloped' the ball for six Smriti Mandhana is purring at the moment. Update: Date: 15:34 BST Title: Post Content: Melissa StoryTest Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Danni Wyatt-Hodge didn't even have to move. A big, big moment for England. Update: Date: 11.4 overs Title: Deol dropped on 26 Content: Danni Wyatt-Hodge drops a pretty routine chance in the deep. Harleen Deol skies one down the ground off Alice Capsey, hitting with the spin, and the ball comes down with snow on it but Wyatt-Hodge spills it. England have not excelled in the field today. This video can not be played Wyatt-Hodge 'had too much time to think about the ball' and dropped it Update: Date: 11.3 overs Title: Ind 120-1 Content: Shot of the day from Smriti Mandhana, who goes inside out to Alice Capsey and chips the part-time spinner down the ground for four. Superb stuff. Update: Date: 11.2 overs Title: Ind 115-1 Content: This video can not be played Arlott dismisses Verma for 20 Just the one wicket to fall. so far. Update: Date: 11.1 overs Title: Ind 114-1 Content: The TV cameras trail on Sophie Ecclestone who is sporting shades and a bit of a glum expression. Alice Capsey is thrown the ball by Nat Sciver-Brunt. Harleen Deol skips down the pitch and wallops the England spinner for four. Update: Date: 15:27 BST Title: How's stat?! Content: Kieran ParmleyCricviz analyst India have scored 98 or more in the first 10 overs seven times previously in T20Is, all resulting in wins. Update: Date: 10.4 overs Title: Ind 108-1 Content: England have been chasing leather for most of the afternoon so it's not surprising they are changing their plans a little. However, Lauren Filer bowls two consecutive wides as she fails to execute yorkers.
