Sundar Asked If Gill "Forgot About Him" In 4th Test. His Reply Stumps All
India all-rounder Washington Sundar is having a series to remember. In the third Test against England, he took four wickets in the second innings to pioneer England's batting collapse. Then, in the fourth Test, he struck his first Test ton after being promoted to No. 5 in the batting order, amidst huge pressure and the big responsibility of saving the Test. However, the 25-year-old was posed a tricky question after the match, one which he answered in a composed manner.
During England's batting, Washington had not been handed the ball for large periods, during which England completed more than 300 runs. However, trusted after Lunch on Day 3, Washington immediately delivered, taking the wickets of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in back-to-back overs.
Washington was asked whether captain Shubman Gill had forgotten about him during the match, a question which he answered coolly.
"Did your captain forget that you can bowl in the first innings?" Washington was asked on Sky Sports Cricket after the match.
"I'm not giving any headlines this time!" replied Washington, sparking laughter from former England cricketers Stuart Broad and Nasser Hussain.
"You need to work on your tips and hints out there. 'I'm loose, I'm ready to go," advised Broad to Washington.
"Most of the time, I am around the square, so I'm sure I cross him every now and then. But yeah, whatever the team needs," Washington replied further.
Washington then impressed even more with the bat in hand. Promoted to No. 5 in the wake of Rishabh Pant's toe fracture, Washington showed his batting capabilities.
He provided captain Gill the ideal support for a long while, running hard between the wickets and dealing with the second new ball as well. Eventually, Washington opened up, hitting nine boundaries and a six en route to a first Test century (101*).
Washington's effort played a crucial role in India saving the fourth Test, keeping hopes of drawing the series alive.
""This Test hundred feels very special," Washington told Cheteshwar Pujara on JioHotstar.
"I just wanted to fight for an entire day and that was the only message given to me by the coach (Gambhir)." Washington, who had started his junior cricket as a specialist batter, was happy that he got an opportunity to bat in the top five.
"I was anyway going to bat at No. 5. I was padded up for two sessions. I was very glad that I got that opportunity. If I could bat higher up the order in future, it would be a blessing," Washington said.
With PTI inputs
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