Kolkata: The identity of the wickets taken or the manner in which they were lost should not matter if the ultimate objective is to grab 20. However, we live in a world where it is more important to know who can bowl and who cannot, rather than who should or shouldn't, dismissing anyone who is attempting to gain access. It is fair to conclude that Washington Sundar has, at the very least, caused a majority of people to eat their words for a day.

Comparisons to Ravichandran Ashwin will remain far-fetched, his name won't appear on the Lord's honors board, and for all you know Sundar will still be viewed as an all-rounder. But Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Ben Stokes can all speak to the cunning that rendered him unplayable on Sunday. He caused the aged ball to turn, grip, maintain its line, and drift superbly on a fourth day at Lord's, making the England middle order uneasy about their off-stump corridor. Not even backfoot press, frontfoot heaves, or any number of horizontal shots could neutralize him.

Because Sundar took 4/22 and because it challenged the idea that only Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are capable of dismissing the big names, it was a potentially game-changing stretch of play. Sundar's lack of recognition as a full-time bowler, which kept him in obscurity, likely contributed to England's reluctance to use him on a pitch with unpredictable bounce, which was something they were unwilling to do. Additionally, all of his rejections were bowled, which served to emphasize the point.

Among them, how Sundar got Joe Root was likely the most impressive. Root's approach is currently rooted in tradition, but as with most elite non-subcontinental batsmen, he also has a propensity to sweep.

Early on, Sundar took advantage of this by attempting to drift into his leg and urging Root to do more than simply turn the ball toward midwicket. As Root moved into a forward defensive push, a ball hit his inside edge and bounced, spinning. The following time Sundar caused the ball to drift into him, Root immediately let loose with the sweep. By then, however, he had moved so far across the pitch that Root's leg-stump was exposed, allowing the ball to pass through his bat and strike leg-stump.

Jamie Smith has been an outstanding hitter throughout this series, but this time he was thrown right into the thick of things. Although Smith's strategy of hanging back to Sundar's off-breaks was correct, his drift was so deceptive that he was unprepared to predict a faster version of it that stayed low as it passed the outer edge and struck the off-stump. Smith was a major advancement since he was a man who could have scored England quick runs. After that choice was ruined, Stokes had to gradually shift gears.

Because the England captain has never been at ease against the off-spinner, this was a dangerous decision. Stokes was in survival mode, blocking, nudging, and pushing the ball, until a fuller pitch tempted him to sweep, but he just managed to drag it through square leg for a scratchy boundary. Clearly thrilled, Sundar once more made the ball drift into Stokes, but the batter attempted a slog sweep and missed. This time, the ball slid into his stumps. Shoaib Bashir, the final man, was the cherry on top.

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