"That was a brave move" - Dinesh Karthik lauds Rohit Sharma's decision to bring on Washington Sundar against Odean Smith

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has praised Rohit Sharma’s move to get Washington Sundar to bowl the 45th over when Odean Smith was at the crease for West Indies.

Heading into the last six overs of the second ODI in Ahmedabad, West Indies needed 48 runs with two wickets in hand. Smith looked dangerous, having struck two sixes and a four in his innings. Off-spinner Sundar had been taken for a few in his previous spell. However, Rohit backed him and the bowler delivered by having Smith caught with the last ball of the over and conceding only three.

Lauding the Indian captain for the courageous move at a key moment in the game, Karthik said during a discussion on Cricbuzz:

“I really liked Rohit’s move of bringing Sundar on when Odean Smith was going good. That was a brave move. It was a very interesting one to bring the off-spinner on with the right-handers in play. He (Rohit) is willing to throw a bit of a bait.”

Giving credit to Sundar for maintaining his composure in a tense situation, he added:

“The beauty of Sundar is that he is able to absorb pressure. You know the batter is going to go after you. So you need some skill and talent. That is the captain and bowler camaraderie blossoming.”

While the Indian off-spinner earned praise from Karthik, former South African fast bowler Shaun Pollock expressed concern over Sundar’s lack of effectiveness against right-handers. Explaining his stance, the Proteas legend said:

“The only concern for me having watched the bowling line-up was Washington Sundar. The guys behind the scene need to help him come up with a game plan. Once the left-handers are on strike, you can see how comfortable he is. (But) he was just too predictable against right-handers, darting it back of a length. They were able to get on to him.”

Sharing his suggestions, Pollock added:

“He needs to work on changing the angle every once in a while. If he goes on to surfaces that are flat going forward, he needs to have that confidence that he has a little bit more up his sleeve.”

22-year-old Sundar claimed 3/30 in the first ODI and 1/28 in Wednesday’s match. Apart from claiming one wicket, he also contributed 24 with the bat.

“He’s pretty sorted” - Shaun Pollock on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy

India’s victory in the second ODI marked Rohit’s first series win as full-time captain of the 50-over team. Asked to evaluate the 34-year-old’s leadership in the two games so far, Pollock stated:

“He’s pretty sorted as to how he feels he should captain the side. You will see more and more of his kind of style implemented as the games go on. Rishabh Pant at the top of the order would have been something to do with Rohit and the way he wants to play. I think he is in a good space with his captaincy.”

The third and final ODI of the series between India and West Indies will also be played in Ahmedabad on Friday, February 11.