Guwahati : Ahead of Day 4 of the ongoing second Test between India and South Africa, all-rounder Washington Sundar mentioned that the frequent changes in his batting position do not bother him much, as long as he maintains a positive mindset that he will perform and get a chance to play.
Sundar’s batting position has been questioned by several experts and pundits of late as he was slotted in the middle order for the second Test after playing at No. 3 in the first game in Kolkata.
Before the play commenced on Tuesday, Dinesh Karthik, while conversing with Sundar, asked, “I’ve seen you’ve been pushed and pulled around a little bit in the batting order. How do you prepare for each of the batting slots that you’re fitting into?”
The 26-year-old had a very positive response to the question as he said, “I think in that case, I’ve just kept my mindset to one thing as to this is how I’m going to play, no matter what situation or what position that I’m put into. And that way, I think I have a lot more clarity and I’m more calm as well. And end of the day, it’s just an opportunity for me to play out there and spend a lot of time out there in the middle. So, I think it’s just a massive opportunity every time I go out there for me.”
The Proteas threatened the hosts in the second Test as well and continued to stand tall, holding a hefty lead of over 300 runs. The visitors bowled out India on Day 3 and got on with their second batting innings, looking to post a big target for the hosts to chase.
India, meanwhile, will need to restrict South Africa to as low a total as possible in the second innings to maintain their hopes of winning the Test and concluding the series on a victorious note, especially after their heartbreaking loss in the opening game.
When asked what will it take for India to make a comeback in the game from the given point, Sundar said that the bowlers will look to bowl tight spells and keep in mind that they don’t give away many runs.
“Pick wickets and also bowl really well and tight. I mean, can’t really give away a lot of runs, especially in the first session. Bowl really tight and obviously pick up wickets, and you never know what can happen, especially with the batting lineup you’ve got,” Sundar said.
