The BCCI’s selectors have added Washington to India’s Test squad as its 16th member, without making any other changes.
Washington has been part of India’s white-ball squads in recent months, but has not played Test cricket since March 2021. He was, however, part of their squad as a replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja during the home Test series against England earlier this year, and is viewed as a long-term prospect as a spin-bowling allrounder.
He has played four Test matches so far, all in the 2020-21 season, when Jadeja, their leading spin-bowling allrounder, was out injured. In those four Tests, Washington scored 265 runs, including three half-centuries, at an average of 66.25, and took six wickets with his offspin at 49.83. On debut, he played a key role in India’s famous win at the Gabba in January 2021, picking up three first-innings wickets and following it up with crucial lower-order innings of 62 and 22.
It is as yet unclear what role India have in mind for Washington in the Tests against New Zealand. They played three frontline spinners in Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav in Bengaluru, with Axar Patel in reserve. Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar are all allrounders.
It is possible Washington has been selected primarily as top-order cover rather than for his bowling. Going into the second Test, India have fitness concerns over their first-choice No. 3 Shubman Gill, who missed the Bengaluru Test with a stiff neck, and Rishabh Pant, who batted twice and scored 99 in the second innings but did not keep wickets for most of the match after taking a blow to his right knee.
India squad for the second and third Tests against New Zealand
Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.
