Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane made a striking remark about Washington Sundar ahead of the second Test against South Africa, which begins on November 22 in Guwahati. Sundar had unexpectedly batted at No. 3 in the opening Test, while Sai Sudharsan, who excelled in that role against the West Indies at home, was left out of the XI.
Rahane noted that constantly shifting batting positions makes life difficult for a Test cricketer. He added that the No. 3 slot could be confusing for Sundar, stressing that he sees him primarily as a bowling all-rounder. Although Sundar fought well on a challenging surface, scoring 29 and 31, he is not a natural top-order batter and is valued mainly for his bowling.
“It’s very tough as a batter in Test cricket when you know your number is not set. You play at three and then suddenly you are out and the guy who bats at six is coming at three. Those who have done well at three and four have gotten that spot consistently for a long time before.”
“You also send such signals. Sai Sudharsan did well at three against the West Indies. Sundar is a good batter. But coming at three and batting will be confusing for him. I believe he is a bowling all-rounder still,” Ajinkya Rahane said on ‘Ash ki Baat‘.
Ashwin Says Batting At No. 3 May Affect Sundar’s Bowling
In the discussion, Ravichandran Ashwin mentioned that he too had been asked to bat higher in the order during his career. Still, he chose to prioritise his primary role as a spinner, noting that bowling demands significant time and attention. Ashwin cautioned that if Sundar continues to bat at No. 3, his bowling might suffer, an opinion Ajinkya Rahane agreed with.
“There was a time in my career where my batting average was above 40. Many suggested me that I should bat up the order. But I took the decision that I want to do bowling and then batting. I am a bowler first as I came in the team that way. So I did not give much time to my batting.”
“As you go deep in your career, you need to give more time to bowling. This is very confusing for someone like Washi. If he has to bat at three, then bowling will definitely fall into second gear,” he said.
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