Mohammed Siraj continued his sensational red-ball form by delivering a fiery spell on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and in the process, broke Mitchell Starc’s record for the most Test wickets in 2025 among World Test Championship (WTC) teams.Siraj’s four-wicket haul on Thursday took his tally to 31 Test wickets this calendar year, overtaking Starc’s 29.

The Hyderabad pacer struck early and hard, removing Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, and Brandon King before lunch. He returned later in the session to dismiss Roston Chase, leaving the West Indies struggling at 105/6. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav also chipped in with a wicket each, adding to India’s dominance.

Siraj is also leading the way in the 2025–2027 WTC cycle, now with 27 wickets to his name more than any other bowler. Impressively, he’s the only bowler in this cycle to have taken two four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls, showcasing his consistency and impact.

This remarkable run comes after a successful tour of England earlier this year, where he topped the wicket charts with 23 wickets in the series. Despite being controversially dropped from India’s Asia Cup squad, Siraj has responded in the best way possible by letting the ball do the talking.

Mohammed Siraj emerged as the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah snared three as Team India bowled the West Indies out for 162 on Day 1 in Ahmedabad. West Indies’ innings lasted 44.1 overs as only six of their batters made it to double figures as Justin Greaves top-scored with 32.

New Delhi, Oct 1: As India prepares for their first home Test series since Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement in December 2024, when they take on the West Indies in the first of two games in Ahmedabad on Thursday, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Washington Sundar can keep going to fill the void left by a legend who defined Indian spin bowling across 106 Tests, especially in a home domination era.

Washington, fresh off a fruitful two-game stint with Hampshire in county championship, had a full-fledged bowling session in Ahmedabad, which has all but confirmed that he will be in the playing eleven (barring any last-minute surprise). After his stunning all-round performances on the Test tour of England, Washington is primed to take charge in this new post-Ashwin era.

“Yes, it’s good for him and the country as well. He’s been in the scheme of things for more than four or five years now, but he was always behind the legend Ashwin as an off-spin all-rounder. So now he’s got his chances and sort of proved himself, which is good for the country and for himself.

“He’s perfectly fitting in the role of what Ashwin did for so long with Jadeja. See, normally the replacements doesn’t come all that easily. But he has been in the scheme of things for four-five years. So, it came out brilliantly. It looks very strong when Washington and Jadeja are there in the team,” said M Senthilnathan, who first identified Washington’s prodigious talent as a 13-year-old at the MRF Academy in Chennai, to media.

At The Oval, while Mohammed Siraj delivered that devastating yorker that shattered Gus Atkinson’s off-stump and England’s dreams of winning the series, it was Washington who had set up the moment. His priceless 53 off 46 balls in the second innings gave India just enough runs to defend against England’s aggressive Bazball approach.

That innings showcased his cricket intelligence. When the last man Prasidh Krishna joined him, Washington was on 17 off 27 balls, and played with restraint. But then he exploded in stunning fashion to get his fifty quickly, including hitting four mighty sixes. He read the game situation very well, understood what was needed, and delivered for India.

But it was in the previous game at Old Trafford where he truly announced himself. Battling for 206 balls alongside Jadeja, Washington crafted an unbeaten 101 that saved India from the jaws of defeat after a refusal to shake hands and accept Ben Stokes’ call for an early draw.

To understand why Washington is ready for this moment of being India’s next lead off-spinner, one has to understand what he’s overcome. Following India’s iconic win over Australia at the Gabba in 2021, where he hit a crucial fifty, Washington was out of picture for more Tests than what he was selected for.

Going into this year’s England series, he had played just nine Tests. The reasons were understandable – India had Ashwin, a legend occupying the off-spin bowling slot. But Washington was never just a spinner who could bat a bit. His talent demanded more, but a pattern of recurring injuries – whether to finger, hamstring or shoulder – also set him back.

Through it all, Senthilnathan kept counselling him that his time of being in the Test team would come. When Washington finally was on the plane to England for the Test tour, Senthilnathan prepped him well, including of avoiding being injured. “It used to be so sad. He had to come, be with us and he was with NCA and then whenever he was here, I kept saying to him, ‘your time will come. So be ready for that and these are the things which is not in your hands. Whatever is in your hands you can do, but some things are not in your hands you can’t do. So be patient’.

“When again he hurt his finger and came back, again a very difficult period mindset wise and I had to tell him, ‘Washi, again I’m telling you, don’t worry about it. You hang in there, work hard, don’t leave it in your domestic cricket games. Keep performing and then you will get your chance. So whatever happens, injury is not in your hands’.

“Not playing or those things around injuries and you’re not playing at all and sitting, those kind of things lead to a lot of stress in the mind. That boy took it well and then probably this time when he went, all I had to tell him was the preparation, how his mind has to be and I did caution him, ‘Washi, England has always got you. So just be aware and do exactly what needs to be done to be fit’,” he elaborated.

What sets Washington apart isn’t just his all-round ability—it’s how he’s built his game to succeed at the highest level. The work done under Senthilnathan’s watch in Chennai has helped him fine-tune his technique – which was evident in his free-flowing strokes in Manchester and The Oval.

“Every single aspect, as I have seen him, has improved. He looks confident and the most important thing is his aggression doesn’t come from his mouth or his actions. He shows it from his mind. At the end of the day, he doesn’t give his wicket away easily.

“So those are the things you got to prove it to the other team rather than fighting with them on the field. They are doing it because they want to disturb your concentration. So I don’t think he was in any way disturbed because probably it made him stronger. He has it inside his mind so that he keeps himself very focused.”

It’s a quality Washington has demonstrated throughout his career. At the Gabba in 2021, his 62 in the first innings surprised many who didn’t know he could bat so well. But those who’d watched him closely weren’t surprised. Even when he was brought out of the blue for the Pune Test against New Zealand last year, he picked a seven-fer on return.

“He’s a very strong headed boy. Like he won’t show it via body language that I’m going to do this. He will keep it inside and show with a bat or ball. So, I think that’s another great quality of him because sometimes they do all this to disturb him in the situation. This game and a lot of it depends on your confidence.”

Being the sole off-spinner in India’s playing eleven brings challenges which Ashwin made look routine. At home, pitches will be favorable, but picking wickets and maintaining pressure on opposition batting lineups, series after series, is an art mastered through experience.

Against the West Indies’ depleted batting lineup, Washington will be assessed on stricter parameters. Can he ask relentless questions of batters that Ashwin did over his remarkable career? Can he tighten the screws when needed, extract maximum advantage from helpful conditions, and still deliver when the pitch offers less?

The Ahmedabad pitch, with some dampness two days before play and overcast skies typical of the city lately, might not offer the typical turning track. But that’s precisely the kind of challenge that will define Washington’s journey in becoming India’s next premier off-spinner – the ability to adapt, and contribute even when conditions aren’t ideal.

As India begins its series against the West Indies and steps into a new chapter at home without Ashwin, all eyes turn to Sundar – now not a fringe player waiting in the wings, but as the one poised to lead India’s spin attack into the future, ready to shine just as his predecessor from Chennai once did.

“There is nothing like you should relax. I mean, you should be focusing more and more. The success is the history now. Next match comes, you got to think as if it’s the first game he’s playing for the country. Every game and every innings should be like that if you want to be successful,” concluded Senthilnathan, who will be Tamil Nadu’s head coach in the upcoming domestic season.

Hyderabad, Sep 30: India batter Tilak Verma reflted on his heroics in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan and stated that he had to remain calm under pressure during the tense chase, reminding himself that he was batting not just for himself but for 140 crore people.

Tilak, who returned to Hyderabad on Monday, received a rousing reception by fans at Shamshabad Airport and later felicitated by Telangana Sports Authority Chairman Shivsena Reddy and Managing Director Soni Bala Devi.

“There was a lot of pressure and nerves in my body. A lot was going on in my mind. In my mind and heart, I thought that whatever I do, I will give my life for the country. If I am under pressure and fail, I am not just bringing myself down, I am bringing down 140 crore people. To do that, I had to stay calm. I have learnt the basics from my childhood, and I have had this habit since I was a kid — to be calm and execute everything in my mind,” Tilak told reporters on Tuesday.

In the summit clash, India suffered major blows in the powerplay as their top-order batters- Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav- walked back to the dugout, leaving the team in distress. Then, Varma rose to the occasion under immense pressure with an unbeaten 69 and guided India to a five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to win the Asia Cup for the ninth time.

The left-hander admitted the situation was tense and said, “In the first three wickets, there was a lot of pressure. After that, it started getting harder. At that time, I was batting and there was a lot of pressure on me. If I had hit another wrong shot, I would have brought my country down. So I told myself, I have to be calm, follow the basics and not give answers in the middle of the match.”

The 22-year-old batter further revealed that partnerships were the key to India’s comeback. “The wicket was not that easy for batting. As soon as we came back, we won the game by building a partnership. That is the quality of India,” he said, referring to his match-winning stand with Shivam Dube.

Reacting to the high-voltage atmosphere of an India–Pakistan clash, Tilak said, “Pakistan always tries to distract the players. A lot of things happened when I was batting, but I can’t tell you on camera. It happens in India-Pakistan matches — we say a lot of things in the middle of the game. But the real answer is when you win the match. That’s what I had to do, and I did it.”

Varma signed off by crediting his long-time coaches for shaping his career. “At this stage, everyone remembers me as Tilak Varma. But when Tilak Varma was not there, Salam sir and Prithvi sir were behind me. They worked very hard with me. All credit goes to my mother, father, and my coaches.”