AUS vs IND: 'Sure I Will Get A Big Score', Washington Sundar To His Dad Before Gabba Innings

While fans and former cricketers are pleasantly surprised at India's tail wagging with No. 7 and 8 scoring half-centuries, Washington Sundar's father is upset at his son for not getting a Test

In the Gabba Test, 21-year-old Sundar became only the third Indian player to score a fifty and take three wickets in an innings on debut. Those who have seen him play from up close knew this all-round show was coming.

Back in 2017, he was called up for the (pink-ball) Duleep Trophy final just a month short of his 18th birthday. The off-spinner and left-handed batsman picked 11 wickets (5/94 and 6/87) and scored 130 runs (88 in the first innings & 42 in the second) to help India Red beat an India Blue side that comprised the likes Ishant Sharma, Pankaj Singh, and Jaydev Unadkat as well as Suresh Raina.

"After that Duleep Trophy performance, we all thought he would be in the Test team. But he wasn't picked. We were disappointed," said M Sundar.

Washington had first made an impression as a 15-year-old. He was in the NCA U-19 team but was picked in the NCA seniors team for a KSCA tournament.

He didn't play the first two games but then scored a 100 in the game against Mumbai, 86 in the next one and he topped it up with a 159 against Haryana in the final. The Haryana side included the likes of Joginder Sharma, Jayant Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

All those knocks came while opening the innings.

"He is a natural opening batsman and has scored a lot of runs against the new ball. In Chennai League, he is the youngest player to score a hundred in the first division league. At the age of 14, he got a century while opening," added Sundar, who himself made it to the Tamil Nadu Ranji probable squad and named his son after his own mentor PD Washington.

"My mentor was called Washington. He helped me a lot in my career. Through gratefulness, I kept my son's name after him," explains the senior Sundar.

M Sundar may not have been able to fulfill his cricket dreams but he is living them through his son, a Test cricketer now, and his daughter, who has played 42 first-class games for Tamil Nadu.