The BCCI selectors have added Washington to the Bharat Test team as their 16th member, without making any other changes.
Washington has been a part of Bharat’s white-ball teams in recent months but has not played Test cricket since March 2021. However, he was part of their team as a replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja throughout. collection of home checks to England in the past, and is seen as a long-term prospect as a spin bowling all-rounder.
They have played four Test matches so far, all in the 2020-21 season, when Jadeja, their standout spin bowler, was injured. In those four overs, Washington scored 265 runs, including three half-centuries, at an average of 66.25, and took six wickets with his offspin at 49.83. On debut, he played a key role in Bharat’s famous victory at the Gabba in January 2021, picking three wickets in the first innings and following them up with critical lower-order innings of 62 and 22.
It is still hidden what role Bharat has in mind for Washington in the Assessments towards unused Zealand. They played three frontline spinners in Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav in Bengaluru, with Axar Patel in reserve. Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar are all-rounders.
It’s conceivable that Washington was basically chosen as a top roadblock and not a bowler. Moving to the second check, Bharat has condition considerations about his first option at odds. 3 Shubman Gill, who ignored the Bengaluru Check with neck stiffness, and Rishabh Pant, who batted twice and scored 99 in the second innings but kept no wickets for most of the attack after taking a blow to his right knee .
Bharat team for second and third tests against unused Zealand
Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav , Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.
