Tamil Nadu’s off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar has cleared the Yo Yo test. He did so at Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Saturday. Washington could not pass this speed and endurance examination in early October this year when he was all but picked in the Indian team for the Twenty20 series against Australia.
This time around, he nailed the qualification mark of 16.1. It is learnt Washington stands a good chance of selection for the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, beginning at Cuttack on December 20. Washington said to Sportstar , “Having failed to get through last time, there was a lot of pressure on me on this occasion, even more than in a key game.”
Read: Yo Yo, the new dreaded term for cricketers
The teenager added, “This Yo Yo test was big for me but once it started all the pressure disappeared. I thought I paced myself well.”
‘More time’
Asked what he did differently from last time, Washington said, “The last call for Yo Yo came very soon after the Duleep Trophy final in which I batted and bowled in both the innings. I had to rush to the NCA.” He elaborated, “Perhaps I didn’t have enough time to recover for a physical test of this nature. This time I got more time after the Ranji game against Baroda. I was better prepared physically and mentally.”
Read: The rise and rise of Washington Sundar
The former India under-19 cricketer had a decent season with the bat and the ball for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy. Washington said, “I learnt a lot during the Ranji season. I want to thank coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and strength and conditioning coach Ramji Srinivasan for their belief in me and their inputs.”
Now that he has surmounted a fitness roadblock, Washington can concentrate on what he loves most – playing cricket.
Comments
SHARE