Dinesh Karthik believes that Washington Sundar is the leading candidate to replace R Ashwin as India’s next off-spinner, especially as Ashwin’s involvement in white-ball cricket has decreased.
After Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin has been India’s go-to off-spinner, delivering exceptional performances across all formats. However, at 37, Ashwin is nearing the end of his career. His last ODI appearance was in the 2023 World Cup against Australia, and his most recent T20I was during the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal. With his white-ball future uncertain, Ashwin is expected to focus on red-ball cricket, including the upcoming series against Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has identified Washington Sundar as the leading candidate to take over from Ashwin. Karthik noted that Sundar, along with Pulkit Narang and Saransh Jain, was tested during the recent India ‘A’ series against England Lions.
“India are definitely looking for a next-gen off-spinner, as in last India ‘A’ series against England Lions, they tried three off-spinners in three matches: Pulkit Narang, Washington Sundar and Saransh Jain,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“They are trying out and Washington Sundar is the front-runner behind Ravichandran Ashwin right now. He’s done well in whatever limited opportunities he’s got and I feel he will get his due first before going to anybody else,” he added.
Earlier, India off-spinner M Venkataramana had shed light on the increasing challenges for off-spinners due to the evolution of the game. Bigger bats and flat wickets have reduced the margin for error, especially in white-ball formats. While leg-spinners and left-arm spinners have found ways to adapt, off-spinners struggle more because their deliveries often fall into the hitting arc of power-hitting batters.
“See, any spinner will get hit on a given day. Off-spinners are much easier in the sense they get into the arc because a lot of cricketers are good at hitting sixes to cow corner. So it is a natural shot as off-spinners get into that slot very easily,” Venkataramana had said when speaking to The Indian Express.
The struggles aren’t limited to white-ball cricket. Even in red-ball cricket, off-spinners are finding it difficult to make an impact, with fewer opportunities in a fast-bowling-dominant era. Former Tamil Nadu cricketer Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan also noted that the emphasis on pace has reduced the number of overs spinners bowl, limiting their chances to develop and perform.
Last Updated on August 24, 2024
Senior Sports Copywriter
