"He was always thrown into the deep end" - Murali Kartik lauds Washington Sundar's performances

Murali Kartik has lauded Washington Sundar for delivering the goods under pressure situations throughout his career.

Sundar amassed 88 runs and was dismissed just once in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The spin-bowling all-rounder played a 51-run knock in the third ODI in Christchurch on Wednesday (November 30), which was his maiden half-century in 50-over international cricket.

During a discussion on Prime Video, Kartik was asked about his views on Sundar's performances in the series. He replied:

"If you look at him overall, right from the time he started playing for India, he was always thrown into the deep end. He was asked to bowl with the new ball. He has bowled the tough overs."

The former Indian spinner highlighted that Sundar stood out with his all-round performances on his Test debut, elaborating:

"Suddenly out of the blue, he is part of a touring party; he gets to play a Test match, bowls really well in a Test match situation, that too in Australia for the first time, where more seasoned spinners have struggled because you need to bowl a lot more over-spin, the way he got Steve Smith out and then batting really well in those conditions."

Sundar made his debut in the series-deciding Brisbane Test against Australia in January 2021. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder picked up three wickets in the hosts' first innings and followed that with a 62-run knock while batting.

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"He is someone who is always wanting to change" - Murali Kartik on Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar struck five fours and a six during his innings on Wednesday.

Kartik also praised Sundar for showing keenness to improve his game. He said about the all-rounder:

"When you speak to him, you know that he is someone who is always wanting to change. You talk about some of the better players, they always want to raise the bar. They always want to be a few percent better than what they were the last time when they go and practice. I think you see that and you feel that with Washington Sundar."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the youngster batted as per the demands of the situation in the final ODI against the Kiwis, explaining:

"Today was another instance. It was decking around; you knew that they had four or five bowlers, and that's exactly what they were going to do. He had to take his time because there was no other option. The way he batted in the end, it was just superb."

Kartik concluded by saying that he has always been a huge fan of Washington Sundar. He added that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) player might not be a conventional off-spinner but is an all-round player who's always going to put in his utmost effort.