'I Literally Didn't Know How To React' : Washington Sundar On Rishabh Pant's Stunning Reverse-Sweep Off James Anderson

Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar has spoken in length about Rishabh Pant’s audacious boundary off England’s James Anderson in the 4th Test this year. Keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s reverse-sweep four over the slips off seasoned Test bowler James Anderson left the cricketing fraternity stunned as it was a risky and needless shot. Washington Sundar underlined that southpaw did not seem to care about his hundred as he was close to three figures then.

England captain Joe Root turned to James Anderson to break the threatening stand between Washington Sundar and Rishabh Pant. The second ball of his brief saw Pant play a reverse slap that merely got a tickle, but managed to fly over the slip cordon comfortably. With that, he reached 93 and the partnership between the duo surpassed three figures. The opening delivery of the next over from Root witnessed the left-hander getting to his hundred with a six to wrest the control from the tourists following a dogfight.

Rishabh Pant’s 101 before Anderson himself got rid of him and Washington Sundar’s 96 catapulted India to 365 in the first innings after dismissing England for 205 in their first. Virat Kohli’s men shot the visitors for 135 in the second innings to deliver a victory by an innings and 25 runs. Pant, who got the man of the match award, also sealed India’s position in the ICC World Test Championship’s final, which they will play against New Zealand in Southampton next month.

Nobody could say anything to him at that point because he was in the zone: Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar said he did not know how to react as he was batting on 90-odd and yet managed to get it over slip and gully. The spin-bowling all-rounder revealed that Rishabh Pant did what he wanted to successfully and he was in the zone where he wished to take on the England bowlers, terming it as an amazing knock.

“I literally didn’t know how to react. More than anything, he was batting on 90-odd… I think on 93 and he still managed to sweep it over slip and gully. So I didn’t know how to react. That’s what he wanted to do and he was very successful. Nobody could say anything to him at that point because he was in the zone and he just wanted to go after the England bowlers. He played an amazing knock,” Sundar told ESPN Cricinfo.

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