IPL WONDER KID Washington Sundar had, unfortunately, failed his Yo-Yo Test, which has now become basic criteria for India’s selection and a benchmark for fitness.
Washington, who had an impressive run in the IPL, Duleep Trophy and the Tamil Nadu League, went back to Bangalore to work on his fitness and was determined to clear the test after. Subsequently, he was named in the ODI squad after Kedhar Jadhav sustained an injury. Ahead of the second ODI against Sri Lanka on December 13, Washington said,
“I went back and prepared a lot and put in a lot of hard work. I trained and did work on few aspects that I thought I needed to improve for me to get into the Indian team. And now I think my hard work has paid off. I started bowling more and spent extra time on my batting. And on fitness also, as you know it has become a very important aspect of this Indian team.”
The 18-year-old is determined to contribute to India’s performance.
“For any cricketer, playing for India is the ultimate dream right from the beginning. For me to have got this opportunity at the age of 18 is a great feeling. I’ve prepared a lot for this, I trust a lot in my preparation and it has paid off. All I have to do is now go out there and perform and win the game for my country.”
He further added,
“I definitely need to be ready to bowl my 10 overs of off-spin and to contribute with the bat. No matter what position our team is in, I need to be ready to contribute no matter where I am going to [be asked to] play. I want to bat wherever my team wants me to; that is the kind of batsman I want to be talked about. I should be able to fill in the boots the management is looking for and I hope I will be able to do.”