India captain Shubman Gill addressed the widely discussed delay in bringing Washington Sundar into the bowling attack during the fourth Test in Manchester. Responding to the criticism, Gill downplayed the concerns and explained that using two spinners early in the innings can make it difficult to manage the condition of the ball.
In England’s first innings, which lasted 157.1 overs, Sundar was not brought on to bowl until the 69th over. He eventually delivered 28 overs and picked up two wickets for 107 runs. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the final Test at The Oval starting Thursday, July 31, Gill was asked about the challenge of managing a six-bowler setup.
In his response, he also touched on the reasoning behind Sundar’s late introduction in Manchester.
“It’s very difficult. When you are playing six bowlers, you know that one or two bowlers are definitely going to do under-bowled. In the last match, a lot of people felt that Washington could have come in earlier, which is a valid point. But sometimes when you are out in the middle…”
“When there are two spinners bowling early in the innings, it’s very hard to maintain the ball and fast bowlers go out of the game for 8-10 overs because then you again need to maintain the ball. In hindsight, there would always be opinions and thoughts. But, you want to be able to make a decision that you think would be best for that moment,” he added.
“His batting’s been a huge boost” – Gill praises Sundar’s all-round abilities
India’s choice to pick Washington Sundar over a specialist spinner like Kuldeep Yadav has sparked considerable debate. However, captain Shubman Gill backed the decision, highlighting that Sundar’s inclusion has bolstered the lower order, an area that has struggled with frequent collapses lately. Gill remarked:
“Washington is someone who gives us so much control with his bowling. His batting has been a really big plus for us. We are fortunate to have players like that in our team who can prevent a collapse in the lower middle order. That was one of the areas where we needed some work. With him coming in, we have improved in that area.”
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