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At a time when wrist spinners are ruling world cricket, 18-year-old India off-spinner Washington Sundar quietly walked away with the man of the series award in the Nidahas Trophy. Washington, operating with the new ball, emerged the leading wicket-taker (eight wickets) with an impressive economy rate of 5.70 in five matches. In an exclusive interview to TOI, Washington mentioned that finger spinners 'can be as effective as' wrist spinners in limited-overs cricket.
The lanky lad from Chennai opened up on his success with the new ball, how he outthinks batsmen in the powerplays, expectations and challenges ahead of his IPL stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and more.
Excerpts:
What were your expectations heading into the tournament?
I had the belief that I would get another opportunity (after the Lanka T20s at home). I was mentally prepared for everything. But I never expected to end up with the man of the series award. I started off well in the first two games and I just wanted to carry the momentum.
The Indian team has been following the wrist-spin strategy in 50-overs cricket. How do you see your success in T20 format being a finger spinner? Do you think they can be effective?
Wrist spinners are magical. However, I feel finger spinners can be as effective as left-arm and wrist spinners. Most teams prefer left-armers or leggies, especially in the shorter versions. But I feel even offies can be as effective as the other two provided they are proactive. If you can double guess the batsman and be one up on the mindset every ball, then you can be good. Sometimes, an off-spinners' classical delivery with a bit of loop and turn might not suit this format. Offies certainly need to do a lot of homework before every game.
How do you read a batsman's mind?
In powerplays you don't have the option to bowl outside. You can vary the length but can't tinker with line except for the bluff delivery maybe. It's more about pace variations. You can pick things from a batsman's stance or from where his bat comes. It's about guessing the batsman's mindset and being adaptable till the end. For example, Mushfiqur Rahim's bat comes close to the body, while Kusal's (Perera) comes from second slip which means his zone will be mid-wicket or long on. If you guess those, you have a chance to go one up.
Describe how skipper Rohit Sharma handled you and the inputs you received from coaches Ravi Shastri and Bharat Arun?
If you bowl a good ball and the batsman hits you for a boundary, Rohit will pat you on the back and say well bowled. He doesn't shy away from setting traps and getting wickets in the powerplay. He is an amazing captain. Shastri and Arun had great belief in me. They gave youngsters the confidence and infused the feeling of a match-winner.
You are set to play under captain Virat Kohli and coach Daniel Vettori in the colours of RCB. Expectations are bound to be higher. What do you think will be the challenge for you?
If people say I have set a standard, then I should be looking to go higher. I'm really excited to play under Kohli. He is a legend and has been truly inspiring. The challenge will be to overcome all the analysis that's been done. I have always admired Vettori's bowling. It will be different working with him -- he is a modern-day coach who knows the current generation of cricketers. I'm looking forward to it.
The Chahal-Washington combo did wonders for India. How do you think it will be for RCB?
It will be exciting to bowl alongside him. Ours is a good combination. He is a leggie and I turn the ball other way. It gives a variety to the attack. We are accurate and wicket-takers. If we can take at least 4 wickets for our team per match, it will great.
(TNN)
