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Oct 10,2026 08:35 AM IST

"Don't Leave Him In Searching Space": R Ashwin Demands Proper Role Clarity For This India Star

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Sports Home India vs South Africa 2025 India News Dont Leave Him In Searching Space R Ashwin Demands Proper Role Clarity For This India Star

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"Don't Leave Him In Searching Space": R Ashwin Demands Proper Role Clarity For This India Star

R Ashwin further said that India could try playing fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy to fill in the place of Hardik Pandya in the XI.

NDTV Sports Desk
Updated: December 05, 2025 08:16 am IST

Read Time: 2 min

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Picture from India vs South Africa first ODI in Ranchi.© X/@BCCI

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Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

R Ashwin called for clear bowling role for Washington Sundar in India’s ODI team
Washington Sundar scored 13 and 1 in the two ODIs vs South Africa, and bowled seven overs without wickets
"Don't leave him in searching space. The team should arrive at giving him proper role clarity," Ashwin said

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After the second India-South Africa ODI, legendary spinner R Ashwin has demanded "proper role clarity" for all-rounder Washington Sundar. The player was sent in to bat at number 5 in the first ODI against the Proteas in Ranchi but was slipped one spot in the second match in Raipur. He scored 13 and 1 respectively in the games. On the bowling front, Sundar got a total of seven overs across the two matches and failed to pick any wicket.

Ashwin has said that Team India needs to consider Sundar as a bowling all-rounder and give him the full quota of 10 overs. He made the remark on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda.

"Once you have decided to play Washington Sundar, you've to treat him as a bowler who can bat. You've to bowl out his overs. Only if he keeps bowling, he'll have the mindset of a bowler who can bat. Otherwise if he just bats and bowls a few overs, he'll keep searching who he is. So don't leave him in the searching space. Instead, the team should arrive at giving him the proper role clarity," said Ashwin.

The spin great further said that India could try playing fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy to fill in the place of Hardik Pandya in the XI.

"India also didn't finish well with the bat in both ODIs. Especially when you don't have a finisher like Hardik Pandya, why didn't a similarly powerful Nitish Kumar Reddy play? I am not sure if they are looking at Rishabh Pant as a finisher or not. India are not able to provide that finishing punch. So should an extra fast-bowling allrounder play instead of a spinning allrounder?" Ashwin said.

The three-match ODI series between India and South Africa is perfectly poised at 1-1. The hosts won the first game by 17 runs before the Proteas scripted a record chase to win the second contest and take the series to the decider.

In Raipur, South Africa chased down 359 runs - the joint-highest target against India in ODIs.

The series decider will be played on December 6 in Visakhapatnam.