India promoted Washington Sundar to No.6 during their chase on the third day of the Pune Test against New Zealand. Here’s why.
Chasing a record 359 in the fourth innings, India started aggressively. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal teed off from the word go before being dismissed for a 65-ball 77 by Mitchell Santner, who took the first three wickets of the innings to register his first 10-wicket haul.
The dismissal brought another left-hander in Rishabh Pant to the crease. An error of judgement with striker Virat Kohli resulted in his run out for a duck, with Santner again in the thick of the action.
India, slipping from 127-2 to 124-4, decided to reshuffle their batting order. Sundar, who came in at nine in the first innings, was elevated to six, above not just Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, but also specialist batter Sarfaraz Khan.
There are several possible motivations for the decision. One factor was India's desire to maintain a left-right combination in the middle. This would have been increased by the fact that two out of New Zealand's three spinners (Santner and Ajaz Patel) are left-arm orthodox, making a left-hander able to counter the ball turning into him.
Still, there is a question of why Sundar was preferred to Jadeja, another left-hander, and one who has regularly bailed India out of tough situations. One consideration is that Sundar was better suited to counter the conditions due to his long reach. Another is simply that Sundar is a talent with the bat, and one India want to make use of.
In his nascent Test career, Sundar has contributed with some notable innings. He made a half-century in India’s famous Gabba victory against Australia on debut in 2021, and also contributed 85 and 96, both unbeaten, in India's come-from-behind Test series win over England that same year. He entered his comeback Test riding on a brilliant 152 for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.
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Playing in the first innings, he used his crease well when most of the hosts’ batters had struggled against spin. He was left stranded on 18 not out, as India were bowled out for 156, 103 runs short of New Zealand’s total.
Thus, India promoted Sundar to utilise his form and also to extend their batting order, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin coming in at No.9 and 10.
The all-rounder was finally dismissed for 21 off 47 by off-spinner Glenn Phillips as India slipped to 167-7, with a first home Test series defeat since 2012 looming over their head.
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