Washington Sundar's place in India's ODI setup has been the subject of much debate in recent times, particularly through this series. The young all-rounder is in a lean period of form in the 50-over format, but the management has steadfastly backed him. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate offered a straightforward view of how India views Sundar and why he will continue to be a big part of their future plans.

Of late, Sundar’s finishing skills have been under some scrutiny in the current encounters. In Ranchi, he managed 13 off 18 balls while making just 1 off 7 in Raipur. These knocks pretty much served to slow India up at a crucial juncture and also exemplified just how thankless the finisher’s job can be: A player coming in during the last overs has to play aggressively from ball one, and so far, Sundar is finding his feet on the job.

Power-hitting seemed to be the focus at India's training session in Visakhapatnam. If PTI is to be believed, Sundar was seen practicing big strokes for long periods under the tutelage of head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. He faced local pacers and spinners, working mainly on lofted shots. Ten Doeschate said the team knows this role needs sharp clarity and constant practice.

Before the 3rd ODI, Ten Doeschate said:

“Washi is still learning when it comes to batting. Coming in during the late overs is a very specific role, and he knows what he wants to improve.”

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Even with the bat being discussed, Sundar's bowling has also been used less this year. He has played only five ODIs in 2025 and bowled his full ten overs in just one match. Ten Doeschate said this is not because of any loss of trust but because of match-up planning.

He said:

“As a finger spinner, you need the right match-ups against left-handers or right-handers. Washi is one of our six bowlers, and with Jadeja and Kuldeep also in the side, there are conditions where we will not bowl more than 20 overs of spin.”

The team, however, is pleased with the way Sundar has handled pressure despite fewer overs and has kept on improving.

He added:

"It will not affect his confidence. He has had a very good 12 to 16 months, and he has not given up in the last two games."

Ahead of the series decider, Sundar remains a work in progress as a lower-order hitter and a match-up based bowler. India believes that with more experience and clarity, the 26-year-old would blossom into a quality ODI asset.