Washington Sundar, who failed YoYo Test at 18, set for India chance vs Sri Lanka
Washington Sundar, who was picked at the last minute for the injured Kedar Jadhav, had initially failed the YoYo Test at the age of 18 but he is now on the cusp of being selected for the Indian cricket team in the second ODI in Mohali.
At 18, Washington Sundar has already realised one dream of his career by making it to the India team. Being initially selected for T20Is, he was the last-minute pick, replacing injured Kedar Jadhav in ODIs. Now, all that the youngster from Tamil Nadu can do is to wait for his chance.
With India trailing, it looks like Sundar’s wait might get longer, but the all-rounder thinks he is mentally and physically ready --- despite initially failing the fitness test --- to play in whatever role the team gives him.
“I am ready to bowl 10 overs of my off-spin and also contribute with the bat no matter what position the team is in. I want to bat where my team wants me to. I should be able to fill in the boots the management wants me to,” Sundar said, ahead of the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Mohali.
Sundar, who has played in the IPL alongside MS Dhoni, feels a few more runs on a seaming Dharamsala track could have made the difference in the first match.
“It has been my fourth day to be precise, but I feel I’ve been in the team for long. You do see a lot of wickets like that (Dharamsala). In a Ranji Trophy season, you get to play two games on tracks similar to Dharamshala. The way Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) batted was really good; he went for the counter attack. One more batsman with him would have made the difference. Another 60-70 runs would have made a lot of difference,” he said.
Recently, Sundar was in the news for failing the Yo-Yo test but the youngster said it inspired him to work harder and it has paid off. “I went back and prepared a lot. I trained harder in all the aspects, which I thought were lagging. I started bowling more and spent extra time on my batting. I also worked on fitness as it has become a very important aspect of this Indian team,” said Sundar, who after his debut last year has played 12 first-class matches for Tamil Nadu.
Sundar said that he trusts his preparation and if given a chance, will like to prove himself.
“For any cricketer, playing for India is the ultimate dream. As an 18-year-old, I have got the opportunity and it is a great feeling. All I have to do now is perform and win the game for my country,” he said.
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