From being forced into debut in Australia to showing resistance yet again with the bat against England in the opening Test in Chennai, Washington Sundar has turned himself into a valuable lower-middle order batsman with two back-to-back fifties in as many Tests. The left-handed youngster played an all-important knock of 85 not out on Monday as India cut down England's first innings lead to 241 runs after suffering a top-order collapse.
Sundar, who came out to bat with Indian reeling at 192/5, added 145 runs to India's total with the tailenders, including a valuable 80-run stand for the seventh wicket with R Ashwin (31 off 91).
His resistance was heaped with praises by Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar, who felt the knock was as good as 100.
"I liked the way Washington Sundar batted. Some of the shots he played were fabulous. The lofted shot he hit for six against James Anderson, there was this shot of Joe Root for a six," the India batting legend said on Star Sports.
"It was a well-deserved half-century, he deserved a hundred. But unfortunately, batting down the order at no. 7, it is not often that you would get a hundred. But 85 not out is as good as a hundred."
He further said: "The partnership of 80+ between Washington Sundar and R Ashwin definitely got India back in the game. If they were dismissed early, England would have a lead of 341 instead of 241."
