Washington Sundar played a key role in India drawing the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England that ended on Sunday. India faced huge deficit of 311 runs after England scored 669 in the first innings. But thanks to tons from No. 5 Sundar (101*), No. 6 Ravindra Jadeja (107*), captain Shubman Gill (103) and a gritty 90 from KL Rahul, India kept the series alive with one Test to go. India trail England 1-2 after the first four Tests.
After his son’s fabulous display, Washington Sundar’s father M Sundar ripped into the BCCI selectors for not giving him regular chances. Spin allrounder Sundar made his international debut 2017, and since then the 25-year-old has played 12 Tests, 23 ODIs and 54 T20Is.
“Washington has been doing very well consistently. However, people tend to avoid and forget his performances. Other players get regular chances, only my son doesn’t get them. Washington should consistently bat at number five like he did in the second innings of the fourth Test and get five to ten straight chances. My son was surprisingly not picked for the first Test against England,” the cricketer’s father M Sundar told TOI.
“My son gets dropped even if he fails in just one or two matches. It is not fair. Washington scored an unbeaten 85 on a rank turner in Chennai against England back in 2021 and 96* against the same opposition in Ahmedabad during the same year. He would have been dropped even if those two knocks had ended up in centuries.
Has this kind of an approach been maintained for any other Indian cricketer? He has become very strong after all this and the result is the performance which people are witnessing now,” he added.
Sundar’s father went on to tell the publication about his son’s achievement at the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, where he was the top wicket-taker with eight scalps.
“My son was very economical despite it being his first overseas tour. He was dropped for 11 straight matches by RCB in the next edition of the IPL, despite his quality performances. Can you imagine his mentality? Washington scored a 14-ball 40 in his first match for SRH during the IPL 2022 season. He was sent at number six in the next match,” he said.
“Even his current team (GT) don’t give him regular chances. He showcased his calibre in the IPL 2025 Eliminator against Mumbai Indians (MI), smashing 48 off 24 balls. Look at the way Yashasvi Jaiswal has been backed by RR. Washington hasn’t been able to enjoy a consistent run even in case of domestic cricket.”
