Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a direct appeal to head coach Gautam Gambhir, urging him to provide all-rounder Washington Sundar with unambiguous role clarity ahead of the decisive third One-Day International against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. This call comes after Sundar's underwhelming performances in the first two matches of the series, which have sparked debate about his utility and position in the playing eleven.
Ashwin's Plea for Role Clarity
Speaking in-depth on his popular YouTube channel, Ashwin dissected the handling of the young all-rounder. He emphasized that the team management must treat Sundar primarily as a bowler who can contribute valuable runs, rather than the other way around. Sundar batted at number five in the series opener before being demoted to number six in the second game, managing scores of just 13 and 1. With the ball, he was given only a combined seven overs across both matches and failed to take a wicket.
"Once you decide to play Washington Sundar, you must treat him as a bowler who can bat," Ashwin stated firmly. "He needs to get his full set of overs. Only then will he think like a bowler who can bat. If he’s just batting and bowling a few overs, he’ll keep searching for who he is. Don’t leave him in that space. Give him proper role clarity."
India's Finishing Woes and Alternative Options
Ashwin also turned his attention to India's batting at the death, identifying a significant lack of finishing power. He pointed to the second ODI, where India, from a strong position of 284 for 4 in the 40th over, could only post a total of 358. This, according to the veteran spinner, highlights a missing element in the lower middle order, especially in the absence of a player like Hardik Pandya.
This analysis led him to question the team's composition. "India haven’t finished well in both games," Ashwin observed. "Without someone like Hardik Pandya, why wasn’t a powerful finisher like Nitish Kumar Reddy tried? I’m not sure if they see Rishabh Pant as a finisher. India are missing that punch at the end. Should a fast-bowling all-rounder play instead of a spinning one?"
The Larger Bowling Context and Bumrah Factor
Ashwin further contextualized his argument within India's broader bowling resources. He noted that the team has lost several experienced bowlers across formats, which puts a premium on having a reliable and penetrative attack. In this scenario, he singled out Jasprit Bumrah as the undeniable X-factor.
"We’ve lost many experienced bowlers in Tests and white-ball cricket," Ashwin said. "The X-factor is Bumrah. If he isn’t a full-time part of the squad, India must score 30 to 40 extra runs every match to feel safe." This statement underscores the added pressure on the batting unit when the bowling lacks its premier strike force.
As the team prepares for the series finale in Vizag, the spotlight is firmly on how the think tank, led by Gambhir, will address these pointed concerns raised by one of Indian cricket's sharpest tactical minds.
