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Dinesh Karthik warns that promoting Washington Sundar to No. 3 could impact his bowling, as India experiments with team roles under Gautam Gambhir.
India slumped to a 30-run defeat to South Africa at home (Picture credit: AP)
Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has said that if the team management decides to back Washington Sundar at No. 3, it would mean that they want him to be a top-notch batter, which can, in turn, impact his bowling in a negative way, sending a stern warning.
Star batter Sai Sudharsan, who broke into the India team during the England tour, had been entrusted with the No. 3 spot after skipper Shubman Gill moved himself down to No. 4.
Sudharsan reinforced that faith against the Windies with a calm, well-made half-century. But in Kolkata, head coach Gautam Gambhir took a different approach. In a bold rejig, India fielded four spinners and promoted Sundar to No. 3, leaving Sudharsan out despite his recent form.
“Where is Washington Sundar, the Test player, being looked at? Is he a bowler who can bat? Now, if you are sending him at three, you are almost telling him that he needs to focus a lot more on batting,” Karthik said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
“The moment he starts spending those long hours batting in practice, you tend to reduce your practice for bowling because it is physically impossible to be good at both,” Karthik added.
Sundar contributed handy innings of 29 and 31 after being promoted to No. 3, displaying solid composure in an unfamiliar role. However, despite his batting efforts, he made little impact with the ball, bowling just one over in the first innings and none in the second
“So the message is very straightforward that we are looking at big runs from you. This could affect his bowling in the long run. It is a very tricky one,” Karthik said.
Sundar faced more deliveries across two innings in Kolkata (174) than anyone on either team and was the only batter to go past the 50-delivery mark twice.
After a debacle, it needs to be seen if the Indian team management persists with Sundar at No. 3 or brings in a top-order specialist.
November 17, 2025, 23:32 IST
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