Indian off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar made his comeback from injury in a stunning fashion – he marked his County Championship debut for Lancashire by snapping up four wickets on Day 1 of the match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Sundar, who hadn’t played any game since the end of May when he suffered a hand injury at the end of the IPL 2022, has sent a strong statement to the Indian selectors about his form and fitness with a starring show on his CC debut – figures of 4/69 while bowling 20 overs, the most from his side on the day where hosts Northamptonshire lost 7 wickets after electing to bat first.
Washington Sundar hopes to make India comeback soon
He dismissed opposition skipper, New Zealand‘s Will Young on just his second ball of the day. This was followed by middle-order batters’ wicket – Rob Keogh, caught brilliantly one-handed at slip by Luke Wells; Ryan Rickelton and Tom Taylor were trapped lbw by the off-spinner, the latter while missing his reverse-sweep.
Washington Sundar, 22, was happy with the way he bowled on his CC debut. The youngster stressed on learning how to perform in the English conditions, which aren’t as helpful for a spinner as the conditions back home in India.
“I think I bowled well with some good lines, and [there were] a couple of amazing catches as well. I feel very good coming over here. Making my debut for Lancashire is a huge thing for me. Getting my cap in the morning from Mark [Chilton] is a great thing. The boys were really supportive. They fielded very well as well, so I’m feeling very good,” Sundar said after the day’s play.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a huge learning for me and I want to give back a lot for Lancashire. They’ve shown faith in me and I want to perform my very best and win a lot of games for them and keep them happy with a lot of good performances. I’m looking forward to understanding myself more with the red ball especially in these kinds of conditions and coming up against different a set of players with different styles.
“Obviously the conditions are quite different from what it is in India and a few other places. I’m looking forward to learning a lot about the culture with the kind of cricket that’s played over here and seeing lots of different styles of batsmen and bowlers and learn more about cricket as well. I think I’ve brought some sun from my home!”
