'God’s plan' and consistency: How Washington Sundar dismantled New Zealand on his Test return after three years

What would an off-spinner describe as a dream ball? Perhaps delivered from the round the stumps to a left-hander, drifting into towards the batter, landing on a length just on or around leg-stump, breaking on pitching, just enough to sneak past the accomplished and well-set batter to clatter into the top of the off-stump? Check.

What would someone playing – unexpectedly, several might say – his first Test in more than three and half years describe as a dream comeback? A stunning seven-wicket burst, career-best figures of seven for 59, emerging as the lead spinner in a side with two other tweakers who, between them, have more than 830 Test wickets? Check again.

LIVE | India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test in Pune, Day 2

Washington Sundar ticked all these boxes and more at Pune’s MCA International Stadium on Thursday. Brought into the mix ostensibly to lend ‘control’ – head coach Gautam Gambhir’s word, not ours – he cut a swathe through New Zealand’s batting on day one of the second Test, sending the visitors crashing from 197 for three to 259 all out. On a track already assisting the spinners and expected to do so more pronouncedly over the next few days, that’s not a trifling total, but it could have been so much more had it not been for Washington.

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T. I. M. B. E. R! 🎯

Cracker of a ball! 👌 👌

Washington Sundar with a breakthrough 🙌 🙌

Live ▶️ https://t.co/YVjSnKCtlI #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @Sundarwashi5 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/OC8VS7fnwT

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 24, 2024

Just last weekend, the left-handed batter notched up his second-highest first-class score – 152 for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. A little over 24 hours later, he was called into the Test squad, more for his bowling than his batting. By Thursday evening, he had added career-best first-class bowling figures to his growing list of accomplishments, often shading R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, India’s foremost spinning all-rounders who have themselves fashioned many a rout.

Washington might be in the middle of a fairytale run, but his feet are planted firmly on the ground. He seeks recourse in ‘God’s plan’, not because he is at a loss for words or is inarticulate, but because he believes a higher power has placed its benevolent hand on his head and is driving him towards greater things.

India made three changes to their playing XI from the one that lost by eight wickets in Bengaluru. One of those was forced, following the availability again of Shubman Gill, who missed the first game with a stiff neck. The other– pacer Akash Deep for Mohammed Siraj in a like-for-like swap – sort of flew under the radar. But several eyebrows were raised when Washington was picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner who played such an influential role in the come-from-behind 4-1 defeat of England at home in February-March but who now has missed three of India’s last four home Tests.

Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar termed the three changes ‘a panic decision’ and suggested that Washington’s inclusion indicated that India were worried about their batting more than bowling. There is no disputing that truism; Washington is clearly the superior of the two left-handed batters and India must have perceived the need for greater depth, especially after being bowled out for 46 in the first innings of the first Test. The great man must have been nodding his head in appreciation at the end of the first day in Pune after Washington delivered a comeback for the ages, with the ball where he was expected to play the support role to Ashwin and Jadeja.

One of the potential reasons behind India going for Washington ahead of Kuldeep, apart from his batting (he averages 66.25 in his four previous Test appearances), could have been the need to keep the profusion of left-handers in the Kiwi top order in run-scoring check. Aside from openers Tom Latham, the captain, and Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra at No. 4 is growing in stature. Ahead of the Test, it was always on the cards that left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who too bats left-handed, would replace one of the three pacers that played in Bengaluru. Like Kuldeep, Washington too takes the ball away from the left-handed bat; the Indian team management felt, however, that the finger spinner offered greater consistency in terms of accuracy.

Even they – Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma – must have been pleasantly surprised at how beautifully Washington bowled all day, especially after being switched to the Pavilion End, from where Ashwin picked up the first three wickets. His first ball on change of ends was the dream ball that had Ravindra’s name on it. The elegant left-hander, coming off a century and an unbeaten 39 in Bengaluru, had his eyes set on another big one, having eased to 65 in two and a quarter hours, when Washington uncorked the peach that forced the young Kiwi to rub his eyes in disbelief.

For most of the rest of the innings, the rearranging of furniture was to be the norm. Five of Washington’s seven victims were bowled, a sixth was trapped leg before, backing up New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi’s assertion that Washington’s biggest asset on Thursday was his consistency in attacking both the front pad and the stumps. Wicket-to-wicket in his third and final spell, he had seven for 28 in 61 deliveries. That might indicate a minefield, but it’s not the case. Not yet at least. It was all down to Washington’s skills, his accuracy, his constant and probing examinations of batter’s techniques and temperament. And, of course, God’s plan, as he so disarmingly put it.