“That’s something Gambhir needs to look at” - Sourav Ganguly doesn’t want Washington Sundar to bat at No.3 in Tests

Former Indian captain and analyst Sourav Ganguly has stated that he isn’t convinced to see Washington Sundar as the No.3 batter in the longest format of the game, adding that the top five batters should be specialists in this particular format.

Interestingly, India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Kolkata was India’s fourth consecutive Test defeat to SENA nations at home after earlier losing to New Zealand by 0-3 last year.

Speaking exclusively to India Today, Ganguly emphasized that the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, should look into this aspect of bringing in some other specialist batter in place of Sundar at No.3.

"It's been a tremendous time for Washington Sundar. I think he's a good cricketer, he bowls well, he bats well, but I'm not too sure whether No. 3 is a spot for him in Test cricket in the long run, across all conditions," Ganguly said in an interview with India Today.

"Your top five batters, openers, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 must be specialists who can perform in those roles everywhere, and I'm not convinced Washi is India's No. 3 in England, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. That's something Gautam needs to look at," he added.

Notably, India entered the Kolkata Test with four spinners in Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja. Nevertheless, India’s spin strategy didn’t work out well for the hosts. 

"He doesn't need four spinners in India, especially when Washi bowled only a single over in the entire Test. When the pitch spins and the main spinners can deliver 20-30 overs, you don't need four of them. So he needs to consider all of this," he concluded.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!