Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar reckons it is a little premature to expect Washington Sundar to fill in the big shoes of Ravichandran Ashwin, once the latter retires. Sundar and Ashwin, both Tamil Nadu spinners, picked all 10 wickets on Thursday, on the opening day of the second Test match against New Zealand at Pune.

After Ashwin took the first three wickets, Sundar bagged the remaining seven wickets to return with his career-best figures of 7-59 in the red-ball version. Sundar was right on the money and reaped rewards for bowling in the right areas.

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin has scalped 531 wickets in his glorious career whereas Sundar is only playing his fifth Test match. 

Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo, “This is the second time that I’m hearing we looking beyond Ashwin and to be very honest, in that series against Bangladesh and the one before that and even in the first Test, I just don’t see a bowler whose end is near or you start looking out for a replacement yet. I think it’s a little premature. Especially in Indian conditions, I think he’ll continue to have enough for quite a bit of time to come.”

Manjrekar noted that there is promise in Sundar’s bowling and he will grow in confidence after a performance like this.

“Washi has started off well but it is just one performance. What you need really, although it seems like it’s easier to turn up and bowl on turning pitches, then you wonder why foreign spinners don’t get as much from the pitch.

“So, you need to have certain qualities that Washi showed which is quick, accurate and just little variation to get those wickets because the pitches are always going to help. So, yes, by just one sample that we’ve seen in this game, there is promise there.”

Sundar played an instrumental role in skittling out New Zealand at 259. At stumps, India were 16-1, trailing by 243 runs.