Mumbai: In foreign Test matches, who will be the lone spinner that the Indian team management believes they need?

Over the past five seasons, Ravindra Jadeja has been favored over R Aswhin and others.

When India chose to use just one spinner during the opening Test of the current Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Jadeja was also chosen. Captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir included Washington Sundar to their eleven for the second and third Tests after the left-arm spinner failed to take a wicket in the second innings of the Leed's game.

In six innings, Jadeja has only taken three wickets, despite four half-centuries, indicating a lack of consistency with the bat and a glaring lack of success on the last day of the first Test loss.

As a bowler, Washington, on the other hand, has been making an impression. The off-spinner followed up his crucial breakthrough in the second innings of the second Test at Edgbaston, where he took the wicket of a well-established Ben Stokes (33 runs) to end his partnership with Jamie Smith, by delivering a penetrating spell in the second innings of the Lord's Test for a four-wicket haul for only 22 runs.

It is clear that the Tamil Nadu spinner has caught the attention of the experts with his wickets of Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root. Since the first Test catastrophe, Jadeja has been bowling with a better strategy, but Washington is the spinner that the England camp is concerned about. Since the tall off-spinner grabbed 11 wickets in a game against New Zealand in Pune, coach Gambhir has been very pleased with him.

Washington was the only spinner chosen in the eleven in advance of seniors Jadeja and R Ashwin in the last series when India played Australia at Perth. During the Border-Gavaskar series, Jadeja rejoined the team to play three games, and he has participated in all three of the first games in England. However, if India chooses to use only one spinner, Washington's outstanding performance at Lord's gives him a compelling case for being in the playing XI based on his current bowling form.

It won't be until India are convinced of the advantages of a full-on offensive approach at their captain's disposal that Kuldeep Yadav may enter the equation before either of these all-rounders. They also see the value of having an all-around player to improve the team's balance.

"Washington has the capacity to be a very excellent bowler for India. “Right now we are not seeing many off-spinners in India, he is one of the rare breeds and we can build on that,” said former India off-spinner Arshad Ayub, listing the areas of his strength and where the bowler may improve.

“He has a very high arm action and is quite precise. Because of this, he delivers at the ideal spot, giving him a little more bounce. In the Lord's match, he bowled rather impressively, maintaining a low run rate and maintaining accuracy. Ayub, who played a few seasons of league cricket in the Lancashire region, where the fourth Test was held, said, "He has the potential to be a really good off-spinner."

Ayub, who captured 41 wickets throughout his 13-test career, believes that a shift in Washington's wrist posture will increase his effectiveness.

"Washington has the potential to be a very skilled bowler as he progresses. He definitely needs to alter his wrist posture somewhat. He turns down the wrist even though the ball is spinning from behind and the wrist is facing him. If the wrist is facing the mid-on area, I think he will get a little more zip through the side of the ball, which will provide him a solid seam position.

“He is quite precise and this (change) will give him the loop which is needed and he will get the turn which is needed along with the loop.”

After a string of injuries threw India's pace strategy into disarray, the team will undoubtedly look to their spinners to take a larger part in the Manchester Test. The location is said to give the tweakers some extra support, according to reports. Since Washington played for Lancashire in the 2022 season, he is somewhat familiar with the situation at Old Trafford.

It's crucial to support Washington, according to Ayub.

"He's a good hitter, a good fielder, and he has the potential to be a true all-rounder. He will give India returns of a nice bowler in the future if you don't experiment with him too much and let him calm down.

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