IND vs ENG: ‘Sundar’s dominance shattered England’s momentum – Coach Senthilnathan on last-wicket stand | Cricket News
Team India defeated England by six runs in the fifth Test at The Oval, recording their narrowest win by runs in Test cricket. All-rounder Washington Sundar played a crucial role in the triumph, stitching a last-wicket partnership of 39 runs off 25 balls with Prasidh Krishna during the visitors’ second innings. Sundar took charge in a crucial scenario, scoring all 39 runs single-handedly during his 46-ball 53, which enabled India to set a target of 374 runs. The all-rounder recorded his half-century in 39 balls during the knock, comprising four fours and as many sixes.The Test series witnessed its fair share of controversy, with the English players especially seen attempting to unsettle the Indian players through verbal volleys. Sundar remained calm, smashing some big hits in a strong response with the bat during the crucial last-wicket partnership. The all-rounder smashed three sixes in five balls at one point, further hitting pacer Gus Atkinson for three consecutive boundaries during his knock.
“Sundar’s silent aggression proved to be a kryptonite for England’s verbal volleys. He performed with the bat rather than responding to the remarks, which is the way it should be. If you stay silent and make the opposition pay on the field, they will soon stop such attempts. England were in a strong position when Mohammed Siraj got dismissed but Sundar’s dominant batting shattered their momentum. I certainly believe his knock played a key role in India’s triumph,” said the cricketer’s childhood coach M. Senthilnathan, in an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.“Sundar responds in a fitting manner with his performances despite being very aggressive internally which is a strong attribute. He held one end and showed initiative with the bat, adding some extremely valuable runs. During the training sessions conducted before the Test series against England, I told Sundar to focus on batting as long as possible and grinding it out. There was specific encouragement towards leaving the ball and resisting the temptation to play shots if the occasion demands. Sundar certainly adapted his approach based on the situation quite astutely, ” added Senthilnathan, who is currently Tamil Nadu’s head coach.Former Tamil Nadu assistant coach R. Prasanna, who has closely witnessed Sundar’s journey, highlighted his improved range of shots as a major factor behind his dominance with the bat.
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“He used to excel earlier in hitting shots with a straight bat but his horizontal gameplay has also become a key weapon which certainly reflected during his knock in the second innings. Sundar has always been very calm and composed and handled the pressure of the situation very astutely. He has been working hard on his fitness in recent times and that has certainly enabled him to excel across departments. Number five would be the perfect position for Sundar in Test cricket. His dominance with the bat is a stellar example of the impact delivered,” stated Prasanna.Sundar scored 284 runs in four matches at an average of 47.33 during the Test series, accounting for seven dismissals.
