Team India’s injury woes don’t seem to end as all-rounder Washington Sundar is reportedly set to miss the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka in the island nation.
According to a report in the Times of India, the Indian team management is taking a cautious approach regarding Washington Sundar, who was selected only for the second Test as he is still recovering from a hamstring injury. He sustained the injury during the ODI series against England in July.
“At this moment, the chances of Washington going to Sri Lanka are very slim. The team management has been told to plan accordingly. The BCCI medical team is wary of pushing him into a Test,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
“There have been a few instances where players have broken down after recovering from an injury. Washington was picked only for the second Test, knowing it would be touch-and-go for him to gain full fitness,” the source added.
No replacement for Sundar if he is ruled out
Should Washington Sundar be ruled out, the Indian selectors are unlikely to name a replacement.
“Washington will be the 16th member if he links up with the team. It needs to be assessed if it will be worthwhile to send him for a Test without any game time. A thorough assessment will be done next week, which will include how the team is placed in Sri Lanka,” explained the source.
India has already suffered multiple injuries to major players. Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana were ruled out of the series due to injuries, whereas Sai Sudharsan, who sustained a toe injury, was also ruled out.
Pacer Akash Deep has also not played competitive cricket since January due to a back stress fracture. The report adds that the BCCI medical team has not confirmed a set timeline on the possible return of Bumrah and Akash.
“The CoE was working on increasing Bumrah’s workload before the Test series in Sri Lanka. It was felt that he would not be ready in time. It has been a long time since he has bowled in longer formats for a while.
“The CoE is very careful about him. They haven’t given any timeline on him. Anyway, Indian cricket may have to now start getting ready for life without Bumrah especially in the longer formats after next year,” explained the source.
The first Sri Lanka vs India Test will get underway in Galle on 15 August, and that will be followed by the second Test that will be held in Colombo from 23 August. It will be all to play for as far as both teams are concerned, with important World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake.
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