• Washington Sundar opened the innings for India alongside during their ODI against Australia in Rajkot.

  • Sundar failed to score big and was dismissed for 18 runs.

IND vs AUS 2023: Twitter abuzz as Washington Sundar opens India’s innings with Rohit Sharma and survives a controversial run-out
Washington Sundar came to open India's innings with Rohit Sharma (Image Source: Twitter)

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Cricket fans around the world witnessed a surprising twist in the third ODI between India and Australia at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on September 27, 2023. As Australia set a formidable target of 353 runs for India, all eyes were on India’s innings, but to everyone’s astonishment, it was Washington Sundar who walked out to the crease alongside Rohit Sharma to open the innings.

The unexpected decision by the Indian team management sparked a frenzy on Twitter, with cricket enthusiasts divided on whether it was a strategic move or a risky experiment.

India’s unconventional choice to open with Washington Sundar

In the past few months, India’s opening pair in ODIs has featured the likes of Rohit and Shubman Gill or Ishan Kishan. However, with neither of these seasoned openers in the lineup for this match, the decision to send Sundar to open the innings alongside the India skipper raised eyebrows.

Some fans and experts speculated that this might be a tactical move in preparation for the upcoming World Cup, as India wants to avoid shuffling the batting order of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. Nevertheless, others were sceptical, deeming it an unconventional and potentially risky choice.

Sundar survives controversial run-out

The dramatic turn of events didn’t end with the surprising opening choice of India. Early in the innings, Sundar even found himself at the centre of a controversial run-out scenario. On the fifth ball of the second over, Josh Hazlewood bowled a length delivery on the leg stump, which Sundar nudged towards mid-on and set off for a quick single. The fielder at mid-wicket showcased exceptional reflexes and scored a direct hit at the bowler’s end. The decision went up to the third umpire, who meticulously reviewed the footage frame-by-frame.

In the end, the decision was given in Sundar’s favour as his bat was found to have just crossed the crease by the narrowest of margins exactly when the bail lit up. However Sundar later failed to cash in on the opportunity and was dismissed for 18 runs off 30 balls.

Also WATCH: Jasprit Bumrah cleans up Glenn Maxwell with a toe-crushing yorker during third ODI in Rajkot

Internet buzz

As the surprising events unfolded on the cricket field, Twitter was abuzz with reactions from cricket fans, experts, and enthusiasts. The unconventional decision to have Sundar open and his subsequent survival of the controversial run-out generated a wide range of opinions. Some applauded the Indian team’s boldness in trying new strategies, while others expressed concern about tinkering with the established order.

Here’s how Twitter reacted

Also READ: New Zealand Cricket declares Tim Southee fit for the ODI World Cup 2023

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CATEGORY: Twitter Reactions Washington Sundar

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.