
Cricket
Exclusive: Washington Sundar or the Next R Ashwin? Coach M. Senthilnathan Decodes His Rise
Washington Sundar, a rising Indian all-rounder, has shown his worth with both bat and ball in Test cricket against England. Inheriting a warrior spirit from his late army officer namesake, his utility player skills and potential for greatness have been recognized by former cricketers and coaches. Comparisons with the legendary Ashwin are considered unfair, as Washington aims to carve his own path in the cricket world.

England v India - 3rd Rothesay Test Match: Day Four by Clive Mason | Getty Images
Washington Sundar is named after late army officer, PD Washington from Chennai, who supported his father, Mani Sundar —a Ranji Trophy probable for Tamil Nadu — by supplying cricket equipment during financial hardship. The Indian all-rounder perhaps inherited the warrior spirit from the soldier. He is mentally strong, and can adapt to any condition; a glimpse of which could be seen at Edgbaston and Lord’s in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India.
The left-handed batter scored a fighting 42 in the second Test, which India won, and restricted England to 192 by returning 4/22 with his subtle right-arm off-spin at the Home of Cricket in the third innings.
Unfortunately, the batters couldn't chase the target of 193 at Lord's but Washi, as he is better known, proved that he could be a trump card for India, especially after the retirement of the legendary Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 537 Test wickets and six centuries under his belt.
The 25-year-old is not a sharp turner. He bowls a flatter trajectory with variations in pace, length, and subtle spin, a tool that helped him dismiss Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Ben Stokes — all clean bowled — at the iconic stadium. And out of his four fifties, two came against Australia in Australia and two against England in India.
A utility cricketer: Value addition and a great future
M. Senthilnathan, a former domestic cricketer for Tamil Nadu and now coach of the state's cricket team, was the first to spot Washington's talent when he was 13. He said the cricketer had grown in leaps and bounds in the past few years.
"I feel he is bringing in a lot of value with batting, bowling, and fielding contributions. This confidence should take him to the next level of being a consistent and dependable performer. He needs to keep doing this," he told SportsBoom.com on Tuesday.
"He proved his batting skills in Tests before. He missed a few hundreds — staying unbeaten on 85 and 96 — against England at home. Luck was not favouring him on his fitness in his earlier England tours. He had an injury while playing football in 2018, and in 2021, he was hit in the finger during a warm-up game and had to return home. Injury kept him away, not fitness."
"He is fighting and on track at the moment. He should be somebody like a Mr Dependable in the lower order. His body language is different now. There is aggression while fielding and bowling, and he has been batting quite confidently, and developing partnerships," added Senthilnathan, who has also been the chief coach at the prestigious MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, where Washington trained on bouncy wickets from an early age to tackle fast bowling.
Senthilnathan's only concern before the current England tour was injuries.
"I was scared as he returned from two England tours in the past. I told him to be careful and enjoy the game, and the pressure. I only want him to stay disciplined. He has always been a good boy."
'Comparisons with Ashwin are unfair'
Senthilnathan led India in the inaugural edition of the U-19 World Cup in 1988. He has played alongside legendary Indian cricketers such as Nayan Mongia, Venkatapathy Raju, Robin Singh, WV Raman, and Narendra Hirwani.
Later, as a coach and chairman of the state selection committee, he followed Ashwin's journey closely. He said Washington can't be compared to a legend like Ashwin, just because their bowling actions are similar.
"Ashwin has to be highly respected. He picked 500 Test wickets. Nobody should be compared to him. As for Washington, all similarities are there. He also bowls off-spin and bats. He can also score hundreds like Ashwin as he has the capacity. He is nicely shaping up and filling the gap but there should not be comparisons. I will be happy if he follows Ashwin's way."
How Washi was always different
Washington's father has been a friend of Senthilnathan. Around 2012-13, he wanted the seasoned coach to gauge if the kid had the talent.
"He just wanted me to take a look at his kid. He didn't want anything from me. I saw him for two or three balls. He drove one and played one on the back foot. I took him under my wings after that. He bowled off-spin later as I encouraged him to become an all-rounder,” he said.
Under Senthilnathan, Washington delivered wherever he went. The turning point came in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad in 2015 when he picked up seven wickets and scored a hundred for MRF.
“He supported me with performance wherever I put him. After the Hyderabad knock, I figured he was good enough for first-class cricket. Somebody can let us down, but he didn't. It became easy for me to back him. This guy always had the extra bit. There is a long way ahead but he will do a good job for the Indian team in all formats," added the veteran, who has helped several Indian fast bowlers at the pace foundation, along with director Glenn McGrath, an Australian cricket legend.
Washington has secured his spot for the Manchester Test that starts from July 23. With 30 wickets in 11 Tests, these are early days but he will certainly become a better cricketer after the tour of England. Plus, the sport runs in his genes. His elder sister, M. Shailaja, is also a professional cricketer.

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya is a cricket journalist based in India who takes a keen interest in stories that unfold on and off the field. His expertise lies in news writing, features and profiles, interviews, stats, and numbers-driven stories. He has also worked as a podcaster and talk show host on cricket-related shows on YouTube and Spotify.