By Diptayan Hazra
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 15 (ANI): With Team India gearing up for the highly anticipated Test series against England, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan has weighed in with his insights on what lies ahead.
Vidyut touched upon the void left by some of India’s legends, the emergence of new talent, and the importance of adapting to England’s ever-changing conditions.
The retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin has opened the door for other spin all-rounders to step up, and Vidyut is confident that Washington Sundar could be the one to watch.
“Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, it’s been very tough on Washi (Washington Sundar) because he has just never been a permanent figure in the squad. However well he does,” he told ANI.
Vidyut pointed out that despite Sundar delivering under pressure in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or international formats, he’s yet to become a consistent part of India’s plans.
“You have seen him in the IPL in Gujarat (Gujarat Titans). He comes back to No. 4 in one game and the team is in trouble. He gets the job done. He doesn’t play again. Again, he comes back. He plays. I remember a one-day series in New Zealand, the ball is doing a lot, he comes in No. 4, plays beautifully,” he added.
“Australia, Gabba, he has been a brilliant performer but it’s just very unfortunate that he has not been a permanent fixture. I have a lot of respect for him because it’s not easy as a cricketer, you don’t get an opportunity when you need to. When you get an opportunity, you really stand up,” he noted.
Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan called Sundar a “fantastic” batter and predicted that he will deliever great performances in the England series.
“So, I think this will be a great series for him and mind you, I have spent a lot of time with Washi in the junior level, Tamil Nadu’s under-19s, Tamil Nadu’s A-teams. He is a fantastic batter. You know, in these kind of conditions, he will be a top-class player. Great No. 7, No. 8 to have,” Vidyut said.
“He can get that 40-50 runs for you at will and of course, his bowling is very, very good. He is a smart fielder as well. So, he will definitely add a lot of value to the Indian side,” he remarked.
India will miss not just Ashwin’s spin wizardry, but also his all-round value, especially in crunch situations.
“Yeah, definitely, we are going to miss Ashwin a lot. Not only as a bowler, but as a batter. In SENA countries, there have been a lot of occasions where India has been 140 for 5-6, and people like Ashwin, Jadeja, and Pant have really stepped up and taken the score to 280-300. Which actually made a big difference in the end,” he said.
Still, Vidyut believes Ravindra Jadeja will shoulder much of the responsibility in Ashwin’s absence, “His spinning buddy and very good friend, Ravindra Jadeja, is still there. He has a lot of value to add as a batter and as a bowler. People like him have to step up because three legends have retired. It’s going to be a challenge, but a great opportunity for someone to have a path-breaking series.”
Speaking on the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Vidyut acknowledged the significance of the void but looked at the upside, “It is going to be a challenge. Huge shoes to fill, especially in Test cricket. We have seen what Virat Kohli has done in England, both as a player and a captain. Rohit Sharma, the way he transitioned into a Test opener, was amazing.”
“Not only as batters, but as leaders on the field, their presence will be missed but it’s a great opportunity for young batters to step up. We have talents like Jaiswal (Yashasvi Jaiswal), who has been unbelievable in Test cricket, Sai Sudharshan, Karun Nair, who have done very well in county cricket, and we have Rishabh Pant, who has batted beautifully in England,” he said.
“So, I don’t think it’s very worrisome. We have the players to really step up but are we going to miss Virat and Rohit? Definitely, no doubt about it,” he added.
“It is going to be a challenge but like I said, we have played in England before. Lot of these guys travel there with the A-teams and they go for lot of academy tours,” Vidyut noted while addinng that “So, they know what to expect there. So, I look forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge but we have the players to get the job done”.
Vidyut emphasized the importance of adapting to the ever-changing English conditions.
“The biggest lesson is it’s got to be condition-centric. Like you saw, the first two days were completely owned by the bowlers and the third day, the sun was out. I think from second day evening and the third day, you know, things can change in England very, very fast (On World Test Championship Final). So, I think that’s going to be the biggest lesson for India. There will be time for two-and-a-half hours you won’t get even one boundary but there will be a time when the sun comes out, the pitch dries up, you will get a flurry of boundaries and again, in another one hour, you know, the conditions are going to change,” he noted.
“So, it’s going to be how we are going to, you know, keep assessing the conditions. As a batter especially, you know, because like I said, it’s not going to be like Australia, South Africa. After you play for, you know, maybe half an hour, you know the bounce, you know the pace. It’s going to be even throughout. England is not going to be that way. There’s going to be a lot of lateral and sideward movement and because of the conditions, it will change a lot. So, I think that will be the biggest, you know, learning for India,” he added.
“Like things can change very quickly. Then they need to be a little smart about how they go about things in that aspect,” the former CSK cricketer said.
Apart from weather and conditions, Vidyut warned about external pressures, especially from English crowds.
“The crowds can put a lot of pressure. England fans can get under your skin. It’s how the team handles the pressure, the chatter, and the noise around, especially with a new captain and a young side,” he said.
“One bad innings, and people might start judging. That’s where support staff becomes important to keep the players mentally strong,” he noted.
On England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ strategy, Vidyut offered his perspective, “It’s very difficult to play that way in India, as we saw during England’s last tour. The pitches slow down, the ball softens, and hitting through the line becomes difficult.”
“It might work in England under batting-friendly conditions, but it also exposes them. They can get a 120-run partnership in 80 balls but also lose 3-4 wickets in no time,” he added.
“So, that’s something India should look at because Bazball, I think it’s quite hyped. It’s also a media name and England will also look to maybe see how they can do things a little differently because it’s not worked really well for them over a period of time. It is exciting. It’s great to watch. It’s good for the crowd but have they got the desired results over a period of time? I really don’t know. I don’t think so. I think India can really make use of that. I think Indian bowlers, if they are smart… We have a lot of variety in this bowling lineup. If they are smart, I think they can really put a lot of pressure in England if they continue playing with the same method,” he remarked.
Vidyut reserved special praise for Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan, “I am really looking forward to Sai Sudharsan. I think on a personal level because he hails from Tamil Nadu. I have spent some time with him. I have spoken to him. He is very hungry to do well. He has a great temperament and he has the game to really flourish in England.”
“He plays close to the body. He understands conditions well. He has played there before in county cricket. So, I really look forward to watching him bat at the highest level. Till now, it’s been a great journey for him. In the white ball format, he has showed glimpses of what he is capable of,” he noted.
“So, if he can get the job done in England, I will be very happy for the kid because he is one of the most hard-working and humble kids I have seen. So, I look forward to him,” he said.
Vidyut further mentioned that he is a big fan of Joe Root while calling his batting style a “real poetry in motion”.
“I am a big fan of Joe Root. My son is a big fan of Joe Root. So, I really want to see Joe Root go about his business because when he gets going, it’s absolute class. Real poetry in motion. So, I enjoy watching Joe Root bat,” Vidyut noted.
“When England is in trouble, he comes. The way he goes about things. The way he reads the situation is an absolute pleasure to watch,” he added.
Tune into Sony Sports Network from June 20 for the India-England Test Series. (ANI)
