'Not impulsive': Ryan ten Doeschate defends Washington Sundar's selection
What's the story
India's assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, has defended the team's decision to leave out Axar Patel and pick Washington Sundar in their 2026 ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight opener against South Africa. The match ended in a disappointing 76-run defeat for India. Ten Doeschate said the decision was not made impulsively but was based on strategic analysis and performance considerations. He emphasized that every choice is made with the best intentions of fielding the strongest XI for each game.
Tactical choice
Tactical decision to pick Washington over Axar
Ten Doeschate explained that the decision to pick Sundar over Axar was a tactical one. He said, "In our analysis, we felt the biggest threats were going to be Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton and David Miller." He added that they opted for a player who could bowl in the powerplay and believed Washington had found a way to be effective in that phase.
Match analysis
Washington not used in his designated role against South Africa
In the match against South Africa, India didn't use Washington in his designated role. He bowled two wicket-less overs, conceding 17 runs. The southpaw then scored a run-a-ball 11 while batting at five. This led to speculation that the decision was purely about who bowls through the middle overs. However, Ten Doeschate clarified that their strategy was based on initial assessments and every decision is made with best intentions.
Performance review
'We messed up on a grand scale'
Reflecting on India's performance, Ten Doeschate said they had "messed up on a grand scale." He stressed the need for the team to quickly move past this loss and not let their emotions cloud judgment. He also emphasized that they have made many mistakes in this phase of the competition and now it's up to them to put in two strong performances against Zimbabwe and West Indies.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
The game saw South Africa score 187/7 in 20 overs. David Miller led the way with a fiery half-century. In response, India were outclassed by the Proteas bowlers. Marco Jansen was pivotal with 4 wickets. India lost by a whopping 76 runs. As per Cricbuzz, Lungi Ngidi became the first seamer to bowl four overs without conceding a boundary against India in T20Is since Beuran Hendricks in Bengaluru, 2019.