What does Biryani and Indian men cricket team’s batting order have in common? Something? Nothing? Anything?
Well, a journalist who probed Washington Sundar during a post-match interaction in Ranchi received a strange, witty reply from the India allrounder who drew comparison with the dish while explaining his point of view.
After a marvellous outing in the ODI series against New Zealand, the Indian top-order had an off-day in Ranchi as the top-three batters including Shumban Gill, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tripathi combined to score 11 runs leaving their team struggling at 15/3 in chase of 177.
The top-order was missing the vast experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli though. However, it’s not the first time that the pair of Ishan and Gill, in T20Is, has failed to stitch a solid opening partnership.
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Against Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series earlier this month, the duo managed 27 in Mumbai, 12 in Pune and 3 in Rajkot before being separated.
And after a fourth straight low score as a pair, the question was bound to be asked: Is it time to rearrange the openers?
Sundar had an interesting reply to it.
“Do you really think a change is needed? If you don’t get your favourite biryani in one of the restaurants, you will never go to that restaurant?" the allrounder said when asked if the top-order should be changed.
He continued, “All of them have made so many runs. It’s just one day. It happens to anyone — even New Zealand collapsed in Raipur (108 all out in 34.3 overs in the second ODI)."
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“It did not mean they had to change their top order. It’s a game where anything can happen. We will have to be patient. At the end of the day, it’s a sport where both teams cannot win and all 22 players cannot perform. All of them have done well to get to this stage."
Sundar produced an all-round performance as he picked up a couple of wickets, took a stunning one-handed catch off his own bowling and the blasted 28-ball 50.
However, his contribution wasn’t enough as others around him failed to put up significant scores with India finishing on 155/9 in 20 overs to hand New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the series.
“I think it was just a one-off game," Sundar defended the team performance.
“I don’t think that just because it was spinning so much, we have to address anything. Just that one-off game. Had we got off to a flier or a better start, things would’ve been much different. Obviously, it did spin, and you will see such wickets here and there.
“…people over here and players in our team have played on such wickets in the IPL and even in the Indian team. So, just that one-off game where certain things didn’t go our way," he added.
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