Sundar made a sudden entrance back to the Indian team in the middle of the home Test series against New Zealand in October, and he instantly repaid the faith of chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir with an 11-wicket haul in Pune and an all-round show in Wankhede. The performance led to Agarkar backing him for the tour of Australia as well, where the Tamil Nadu all-rounder even the first Test match ahead of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Ashwin played in the second test, replacing Sundar, although he picked only one wicket before being benched in Brisbane to make way for Jadeja, who helped India avoid a follow-on with a fighting half-century.

‘It was in Ashwin’s mind that Washington Sundar will be given preference’

Speaking to Dainik Jagran, Harbhajan admitted that Ashwin was a frontrunner for a spot in the playing XI in either Melbourne or the Sydney Test match against Australia, and hence the announcement was “shocking” for him. However, he respected the decision and was all praise for the “match-winning bowler.”

“I am shocked by their decision. It is certainly surprising for such a big decision to come in the middle of an ongoing series. Perhaps we were expecting to see him in Sydney and Melbourne because the role of spinners is very important there, but we should respect his decision. He must have taken this decision after thinking very carefully. He is a very big bowler. I salute his achievements. He has been a match-winning bowler and has won many matches for India. I wish him all the best for his future,” he said.

The veteran Indian spinner then speculated that Ashwin must have realised that the management now have their eye on the future, and hence will be backing Sundar more often as a spin-bowling all-rounder ahead of him. He then explained that India will not play another home Test series until October next year. Their immediate next assignment in the format will be the tour of England next summer, where the selectors will only pick two spinners, where Sundar and Jadeja will likely pip Ashwin.

“As far as I have received information, the Indian team has to play Test cricket at home in October next year and before that it has to play five matches with England. When you have such good records, so many wickets to your name and when you are included in the playing eleven on foreign tours,

From what I am hearing from here and there, perhaps it is in Ashwin’s mind that now Washington Sundar will be given preference in his place. Five matches have to be played in England, where only two spinners will be going, who will be those spinners, so many things will be going on in their mind. All I can say is that this decision must not have been so easy for him,” he said.