Washington Sundar's 1st Test wicket originated from THIS moment back in IPL 2017

India's Washington Sundar has earned a reputation of being a miserly bowler, especially in the shortest format of the game. From bowling with the new ball in the powerplay, to keeping the scoring-rate in check during the middle overs, the player's ability to bowl with a disciplined line and lengths has paid dividends for him. The off-spinner earned an opportunity to showcase his talent in Test matches as well after he was added to the side for the India vs Australia 4th Test in Brisbane. 

Washington Sundar replicates his 2017 achievement to give India a crucial breakthrough 

The Indian contingent has had to face numerous hurdles in their ongoing Australia tour. The grueling nature of the assignment has also taken a toll on the bodies of the players. While several key players were unable for selection with injury concerns ahead of the Test series decider, Team India's think tank were forced to go back to their drawing boards. India's premier off-spinner R Ashwin also had to be left out for the Brisbane Test, and the management had to make a tough decision regarding his replacement. 

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Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar emerged as the two top contenders for the spot. Interestingly, Sundar, who was not initially a part of the Test squad, was selected ahead of the left-arm spinner, presumably for his skills with the bat. While a certain section of the fans had expressed concerns regarding the player's ability to perform in the longer format, the Tamil Nadu-based bowler silenced his critics by dismissing Australia's star batsman Steve Smith just when the batter was threatening to take the game away from the visitors. 

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Sundar's maiden Test wicket has striking similarities to his initial selection in the Indian Premier League as well. As pointed out by a Twitter user, when R Ashwin was ruled out of the 2017 season of the cash-rich league, it was Washington Sundar who was roped in as his replacement. During a net session, the crafty spinner iroincally got the better of Steve Smith itself, who was the captain of the Pune team that season. That moment impressed Smith and the franchise to such an extent that they made a decision to add him in the Pune side's squad. The team went on to reach the final that season, with one of Sundar's top moments coming from dismissing Kieron Pollard in the Qualifier 1. Another irony is that Pollard was sent back in the same fashion like Smith was in Brisbane. Co-incidentally, it was Smith who took that catch back then.

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India vs Australia 4th Test: India vs Australia live 

The injury-marred Indian side have gone into the contest with a fairly inexperienced bowling line-up. However, the bowlers have risen to the occasion, and have shown sparks of brilliance on Day 1. At the time of writing this report, Australia were 236-5. The Tim Paine-led side elected to bat first after winning the crucial toss. Openers David Warner and Marcus Harris were sent packing early by the Indian bowlers. However, Marnus Labuschagne fired once again for the home team and scored a remarkable century to steady the ship for his side. Fans in India can tune into the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 3 and SONY SIX) at 5:30 AM (IST). The India vs Australia live streaming will also be made available on the SonyLIV app.

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Image source: AP