Ahead of the third ODI between India and South Africa, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif shared a strong opinion about all-rounder Washington Sundar’s place in the team. As India prepares for the final match of the series on December 6, Kaif believes there is a lack of clarity in how Sundar is being utilised.
He emphasised that Sundar’s wicket-taking ability has not been strong enough to demand a dual role, and pushing him up the batting order might only increase his burden. According to Kaif, the team management must prioritise what they expect from him. He expressed concern that focusing on both batting and bowling could dilute Sundar’s effectiveness, especially with the ball, which should ideally be his primary strength.
“First of all, his wicket-taking ability is less, and now you want Sundar to bat and are just putting more pressure on him. It is like he is neither a bowler nor a batter. Make him do one thing and give him a clear role. He can play the role of Axar in batting in the middle. That is fine. But his main role is bowling. Batting is a bonus. But if his bowling gets bad, which is evident as they are not giving overs, he will go further behind in bowling. He will have to work on his skills and variations as a bowler. If he wants to play longer for India, he has to improve his bowling,” he added.
A Look At Sundar’s ODI Numbers
Sundar’s ODI record further highlights Kaif’s concerns. In 28 matches, he has bowled only 164 overs, far below the 280 overs expected if he bowled his full quota every game. Despite this limited usage, he has managed 29 wickets with an average of 27.93 and a strike-rate of 33.9. Kaif fears that if Sundar continues to be assigned mixed responsibilities, his growth as a bowler could be stalled. To have a long future in the team, Kaif believes Sundar must focus on enhancing his variations and consistency with the ball.
Kaif Comes To Jadeja’s Support After Criticism
Ravindra Jadeja also found himself under scrutiny after India’s loss in the second ODI, where he scored an unbeaten 24 off 27 balls but failed to accelerate. However, Kaif defended him, pointing out that finishing strong in the death overs has never been Jadeja’s identity. He explained that the left-hander has never been known for explosive late-hitting and therefore should not be judged as a finisher.
“Jadeja has never been a big finisher. He has never scored 36 off 12 or something like that ever. Then you can compare that he would score quickly before. He has never had that reputation. So I will not question him there. Even the improvement in his batting has come from hard work. I will judge him for his bowling if I have to. His intent was fine. The issue was with execution, but he has never been a big hitter,” Mohammad Kaif said.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
