Written by Sandip GUpdated: November 2, 2025 07:56 PM IST 6 min readWashington Sundar of India during the 3rd T20I match between Australia and India at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Australia, on November 2, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)Under the stunning skies over the Bellerive Oval, Washington Sundar splashed a bright palette of colours into his T20 career. He crunched an undefeated 49 off 23 balls to orchestrate a five-wicket victory, pursuing 187, over an unusually slipshod Australia to keep the series 1-1 before the three-day breather and triple-header that follows. Much of Washington’s 54-game-T20I career, scattered across eight years, has not produced a match that the audience would associate instantly with him. Hobart certainly would be one.Washington is like the young and intrepid actor, acing a different act in every role. Last year, around the same time, he was foxing New Zealand batsmen with bounce and drift at home. At the start of this season, he was showing Ben Stokes and co. the different layers of his batting. He could stonewall and etch a hundred in five hours, he could smear three sixes on the rub too. He could be an anchor and accumulator, and aggressor and finisher too, with a knack of staying composed in nerve-snapping situations. The list features some of India’s unforgettable moments in the longest format; Gabba 2021; Oval 2025; Old Trafford 2025. Add Hobart 2025, this time in the shortest.But to perform the finishing duties in a T20 game was a distinct challenge; not because of deficient skills but because he has not influenced a T20 game before, but for fits and flashes. He strode out with the team in trouble; India had lost four wickets for 111 runs. The equation of 76 from 53 balls was still steep, even though the hosts were without Josh Hazlewood. But India’s lower-order wore a feeble look; Jitesh Sharma was returning to the team after 20 months; Shivam Dube had been in horrid form; his partner Tilak Varma was struggling to time the ball. The tail was long and stingless.4,6,6 – @Sundarwashi5 is on fire Live – https://t.co/7lGDijSY0L #TeamIndia #AUSvIND #3rdT20I pic.twitter.com/SMsO0L31MC— BCCI (@BCCI) November 2, 2025In his second ball, he poured signs that the night would be his. Nathan Ellis tried the trick that had yielded a rich harvest in the game. The full-pelt bouncer, unseemly quick from the master of pace variations. The bouncer that induced Abhishek Sharma’s top edge clocked 148kph. The Axar Patel thunderbolt blazed 140kph. The set-up ball would be a slower-ball variant, often an off-cutter on length. The first ball to Washington was not a slower ball, but in the mid 130s, his average speed, on length. The next one was quicker, but too short that it gave Washington adequate time to uncork a cracking pull over the square-leg fence. The switch to the back-foot was seamless; as was the fluid swish of his blade.In the era of new-age six-flingers, the old classicist brings a disarming charm. Washington rarely resorts to pyrotechnics or improvisations. He targets the conventional spaces and takes the time-tested routes, but with optimal utilisation of loose balls. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, the most frugal of Australia’s bowlers, erred on the shorter side for once. As the leg-side was packed, he slugged it over the bowler’s head for a four. The spatial awareness of Washington was supreme. He chose the right bowlers at the right time to attack too.To bowl the 14th over, Aussie skipper Mitchell Marsh summoned Sean Abbott, whose first spell bestowed Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav enough gift balls to fashion a quick start (64 for 2 in the first six overs). Washington wasted little time to dump a fullish ball to the cover fence, before bludgeoning him for a brace of sixes, a thump and a pull. The 19-run-over injected an unstoppable impetus to India’s quest for the series-levelling win. Varma vanquished in the 15th over, but in Jitesh he found a support act that steered India home without further blemishes, with an over and a half to spare. Washington Sundar of India during the 3rd T20I match between Australia and India at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Australia, on November 2, 2025.(CREIMAS for BCCI)Washington’s wrapping-up act would have far-reaching implications in the context of India’s permutations for the World Cup defence next year. Whereas his knack of bowling tight spells at any juncture of the game is vastly appreciated, his tendency to scrape rather than sizzle with the bat had reduced him to bit-part roles in T20s. An economy rate under seven is golden. But a strike rate of 121 is not quite so glittering. But on Sunday, he proved he can command a place in the side as a batter alone. Bizarrely, he was not given the ball, even though Dube was mercilessly punished, which he partially redeemed by taking the wicket of Tim David (74 off 38 balls), and Suryakumar even availed the services of Abhishek’s part-time left-spin.The rationale of picking Washington, presumably displacing Kuldeep Yadav, seemed mysterious, before Washington exhibited a different side of him. All three changes of the team management worked. Arshdeep Singh’s first spell was delightful; he swung the ball both ways and removed Travis Head and Josh Inglis. In the late burst, he terminated the free-swinging Marcus Stoinis (64 off 39), stalling Australia’s bid for a total beyond 200. Jitesh, replacing Sanju Samson, whose last 14 innings have yielded only 184 runs, stroked a nuggety 22 not out off 13 balls. “This was a really good combination,” Suryakumar told the broadcasters.Story continues below this adBut whereas the future of Arshdeep and Jitesh seem straightforward, straight swaps over underperforming ones, Washington’s is complex. Would Kuldeep Yadav, India’s most lethal spinner, be snubbed for him? Or the equally indispensable Varun Chakravarthy or Axar Patel. Washington would not not spend time fussing over solutions that are not in hands. He would rather keep acting in new and different roles in a career that keeps evolving.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:India vs AustraliaWashington Sundar