Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar recently opened up about the tactical challenges faced by bowlers on pitches that offer little assistance, emphasizing the critical need for patience. Reflecting on the current 2025-26 home season, which has featured predominantly flat, batting-friendly surfaces, Sundar’s comments come after a demanding second Test against New Zealand where he struggled for wickets.
Sundar, who impressed with 16 wickets in his Test comeback last year on more responsive tracks in Pune and Mumbai, found the docile pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium particularly unyielding. After bowling 13 overs without a breakthrough in the first innings, he managed only one scalp across 23 overs in the second.
Addressing the media on day four, the 26-year-old Chennai-born spinner explained, “The wicket lacked significant bounce, and there wasn’t much turn available in this game. However, that’s the beauty of Test cricket; different venues present different challenges. Our goal is always to assess the conditions and adapt our strategy accordingly.”
The West Indies batsmen, John Campbell and Shai Hope, capitalized on these conditions, both scoring centuries en route to a formidable total of 390 runs over 118.5 overs in their second innings, even after being forced to follow on. For Sundar, success on such unresponsive surfaces hinges entirely on unwavering patience.
“On a wicket like this, it’s absolutely essential to be patient and consistently hit the right areas. That’s the real test,” Sundar stated. He also expressed satisfaction with the team’s collective effort: “It’s truly encouraging that we managed to take all 20 wickets as a team on such a challenging pitch.”