Washi To Get Nod For Adelaide Test?

With Washington Sundar being tipped to replace the 38-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin in the longer run, Rohit Sharma said the young all-rounder has the game to excel in different conditions around the world.

'(He is) a very solid all-rounder. We've seen what he can do with the ball (and) with the bat. He's got a solid technique to play anywhere in the world and when such players are in the team, you get the confidence,' Rohit told the media on Thursday, on the eve of the second Test, a day-night match in Adelaide.

'I just hope that he stays away from injury, because a player like him is always valuable to our squad. (He) gives us that balance, that depth that a team always requires. I can see his graph from here going up only. I don't see him going down unless there is an unfortunate injury.

'He has got all the tools that is required to find success at international level. He has got everything that is required,' he added.

Sundar is expected to keep his place for the Test in Adelaide starting Friday.

'There's a 90% chance that Sundar will play in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval,' The Times of India newspaper quoted a source as saying.

The experienced Ashwin and his spin twin Ravindra Jadeja, who have 855 Test wickets between them, were not picked for the opening Test in Perth, and batting great Sunil Gavaskar was not tickled by the decision.

'Really surprised with Ashwin and Jadeja not playing, they have got 900 wickets between them in Test matches. They are not bowlers who can just play in Indian or sub-continent conditions. They are very clever bowlers, they are very experienced bowlers. Even if they might not get you wickets, they will be able to slow the scoring down because of the cleverness of how they bowl,' Gavaskar said in the commentary box on Day 1 of the 1st Test.

'I would have thought that on these Australian wickets, there are big boundaries, so I thought you would have gone with both of them,' he had said.

With Sundar likely to start ahead of the experienced spin duo, we'll wait for Sunny G's thoughts once the Adelaide Test gets underway.