India have solid batters in dressing room: Sundar confident of special Lord's win

India Today

5 hours ago

India all-rounder Washington Sundar remains confident that his side will complete the crucial chase of 193 runs on a tricky day five pitch at Lord's against England and clinch victory in this historic Test. Sundar's four-wicket haul on day four played a key role in bowling England out for 192, setting the stage for a tense final day.However, India found themselves in early trouble, slipping to 58 for four with key batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, and nightwatchman Akash Deep back in the pavilion. Indian opener KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 33, and the touring side needs another 135 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series.advertisement"We want so many things the way we expect it to be, but yes, we'll take it any day. We'll really come out positive tomorrow. We've got some solid batsmen in the dressing room. It's exciting in every way, you know, winning a Test at Lord's is going to be amazing. So, I think we're sitting pretty," Sundar said during the post-day press conference. Chosen ahead of Kuldeep Yadav for his all-round abilities, Washington justified his selection with timely breakthroughs that dented England's batting line-up.
"Definitely one of the best days with the ball for me, especially outside of India. But yes, I definitely had some solid plans coming into this Test match and really wanted to execute them both in the first and second innings," he explained.| Lord's Test Day 4 Highlights |"There are different roles thrown at me in different passages of play. I would say that's where Test cricket gets a lot more exciting because you've got to be a slightly different cricketer, at least with your mindset on day five compared to day one," added Sundar, who enjoyed dismissing in-form Jamie Smith.When asked about a potential victory, Sundar was clear about its significance."A win as a team at Lord's would be very, very special for us. It would be amazing. I'm sure for you lot as well. It's going to be exciting tomorrow. I mean, especially the last 15-20 minutes was quite interesting today," he noted, referring to the increased intensity at the close of play.Sundar also commented on the competitive spirit shown by both sides, particularly following a tense incident on day three."I would say the aggression is always inside of us in both dressing rooms. It's just that there was an incident that happened and it sort of came out as well last evening (Day 3). And it did come out quite a bit today as well. It definitely does fuel energy. I mean, it's a sport and everyone is quite aggressive and quite intense in their own ways. No matter the sport, if you're an athlete, it's a common factor," he concluded.With a challenging chase ahead, India will rely on their composure and the "solid" batting talent Sundar praised to script a memorable victory at the Home of Cricket.- EndsYou May Also Like