IND vs AUS: 3 reasons why Washington Sundar should be in India's main squad

The much-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy kickstarts on February 9 2023. The Indian selectors have named a strong 17-member squad for the first two Tests against the Aussies.

Team India have included four spinners in the squad viz Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. Washington Sundar, who made an impressive debut against Australia at the Gabba in 2021 missed out and has been included as a net bowler.

Here's a look at three reasons why Washington Sundar should have been a part of the Indian squad for the Tests against Australia rather than being a net bowler.

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#1 Absence of a left-hander in the top order

Washington Sundar against Australia

The Indian batting line-up lacks a left-hander in the top order. With Rishabh Pant out of the Test series and the indifferent form of Ishan Kishan, the team management could look to give Srikar Bharat a debut in the first Test at Nagpur, who also happens to be a right-hander.

Ravindra Jadeja is the only southpaw in the top seven as compared to four for Australia (David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Alex Carey). A right-left combination could have proved to be beneficial for the hosts in the series.

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#2 Current form and impressive start to his Test career

Sundar scored a half-century on debut against Australia

Sundar has had an impressive start to his Test career. In six innings, he has garnered 265 runs at an impressive average of 66.25, with three half-centuries. With the ball, he has picked up six wickets.

As far as Test matches are concerned, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel are bowling all-rounders. Sundar is a batting all-rounder and his inclusion could have provided more options for the management if and when a situation arose to include an extra batsman depending on the conditions.

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#3 Back-up in case of an injury to key spinners

Washington Sundar is a handy all-rounder

Washington Sundar made his debut in Australia in 2021 when Ashwin and Jadeja were both unavailable due to their respective injuries. Jadeja is returning to the Indian squad after a long lay-off due to an injury.

Furthermore, in case of an injury to Ashwin, there is no off-spinner in the squad. Sundar could be a handy option in case of any concerns with the spinners.

The 23-year-old is more than handy with the bat and has also tasted success with the ball in the limited-overs. H is also a safe fielder and considering his all-round skills, his inclusion in the squad could have been handy for the hosts.