The Sanjay Manjrekar argument for Washington Sundar over Ravichandran Ashwin would be one of interest, considering the latter’s long slate of excellent international cricket performances. Yet, based on Manjrekar’s formulation, this decision is seemingly spurring from recent performances and even match conditions.
Undoubtedly, Ashwin remains one of India’s best spinners, but recent performances in subcontinental conditions have left people questioning. In particular, in Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, the Ashwin’s impact didn’t weigh heavy enough which made many question if he is on the declination curve. Then again, Washington Sundar took 7 wickets for 59 runs in the second Test against New Zealand that grabbed eyeballs. His sharp and quick spin with an additional advantage of a higher release point helps him to have added impact on abrasive pitches. For conditions where fast, accurate spin has been important, Sundar accuracy plus the ability to get variations in delivery helps make him a good pick.
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Manjrekar has rather clarified that though Sundar was brilliant, in his words, “one game doesn’t make a test match or a series”. At the same time, he also agreed that Sundar holds great promise but much consistency will be required, going by the criteria for predicting long-term prospects. The challenge posed by foreign pitches and the consistency that Ashwin brings with his experience also makes it look a bit premature to consider a replacement.
At the end, Manjrekar feels Washington Sundar is a quality option for given conditions where his style of spin would shine better, but he would do well to restrain himself from not writing off Ashwin quite yet. Clearly, Sundar’s performance has given him the edge for now, but it remains an issue whether he can match Ashwin’s longevity as well as his impact across all formats.