Washington, the bowler, has more than made a case

It will be interesting to see when the Indian team management feels it needs just one spinner in the side in overseas Test matches, who will it be?

- Sanjeev K Samyal

In the last five seasons, Ravindra Jadeja has been the preferred choice over R Aswhin and others.

In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy too, Jadeja was selected in the first Test when India went with only one spinner. The left-arm spinner didn’t get a wicket in the second innings of the Leed’s game and for the second and third Tests, captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir added Washington Sundar also to their eleven.

Jadeja has been very consistent with the bat, with four half-centuries, but has just three wickets to show for in six innings, with his lack of success on the final day in the opening Test defeat quite glaring.

Washington, on the other hand, has been making an impact as a bowler. After providing an important breakthrough in the second innings of the second Test at Edgbaston by claiming the scalp of a well-set Ben Stokes (33 runs) to break his partnership with Jamie Smith, the off-spinner produced an incisive spell in the second innings of the Lord’s Test for a four-wicket haul for just 22 runs.