'He again is just 25 years of age. I think he should have played a lot more Test cricket.'
Former all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind young Washington Sundar to be a 'genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India'.
Sundar is slowly emerging as a familiar face across different formats of the game under the regime of head coach Gautam Gambhir. The sudden rise in Sundar's stock is attributed to Gambhir's backing of the 25-year-old over the last few months.
Even former India spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that Gambhir highly rates Sundar.
With the number of opportunities that have come Sundar's way, the southpaw has latched on to every single one of them. In the third Test against England at Lord's, the left-hander conjured a composed 23 in the first innings. With the ball, he bowled a crucial spell in England's second innings, to claim 4/22 in 12.1 overs, but it wasn't enough to save India from a bitter 22-run defeat.
Shastri, who saw Sundar dazzling at the crease with his multi-dimensional skills, advocated for him to grow into a genuine all-rounder in Test cricket for many years to come.
"I always loved Washington. When I saw him on day one, I said he's the man. And he can be a genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India," Shastri said on The ICC Review.
Sundar first burst onto the Test scene during India's historic Test victory against Australia at the Gabba in 2021. He played a pivotal role with both bat and ball, scoring a half-century and taking key wickets to help India make history by winning their second consecutive series in Australia. However, the next couple of years proved to be really challenging as the spin all-rounder battled one injury after another.
Sundar made a smashing comeback to Test last year during the series against New Zealand. Back in the Test team after three-and-a-half years, the off-spinner claimed career-best figures of 7/59 during the Pune Test, to finish with overall 16 wickets in the series.
"He again is just 25 years of age. I think he should have played a lot more Test cricket. Can be lethal in India on tracks where the ball is turning, as New Zealand found out when they played against India. He out-bowled some of the senior spinners. He bowled that well, and he can bat," he added.
When Sundar made his debut, India were battling with injuries. Shastri served as India's head coach during that period and turned to Sundar for the Gabba Test. He notched a fluent 62 under pressure in his very first innings and played a pivotal role in India's historic win.
He topped up his batting masterclass with sizzling unbeaten knocks of 85 and 96 in subsequent series against England at home. Even after batting at No 7 or lower in 10 of his 11 Test appearances, Sundar boasts an average of 38.92, with four half-centuries.
"He's a naturally talented batsman. He's no number 8. He can go at six very soon in the batting lineup. He's a naturally talented batsman," Shastri said.
Shastri doesn't believe that Sundar's impact will be limited to the sub-continent. He expects the youngster to be an asset for India in overseas conditions, considering he scythed priceless wickets of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith at Lord's.
"And once he gains confidence, I think he'll get better and better because even overseas he's got the drift, he's got the pace, he's got the strength in his fingers and the fitness. You know, do both long spells and do the controlling job when needed," he added.
Sundar's inclusion has added an extra layer of depth to India's batting unit, while providing an additional bowling option. It remains to be seen if India tinkers with the setup to accommodate wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the fourth Test in Manchester against England.
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