"Looked like the best batter" - Former all-rounder heaps praise on Washington Sundar's stellar 49* in AUS vs IND 2025 3rd T20I

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan applauded Washington Sundar for his match-winning knock in the third T20I against Australia. The game was played on Sunday, November 2, in Hobart.

Asked to bat first, Australia posted 186/6, with Tim David shining with a brilliant 74 off 38 balls, including eight fours and five sixes. For India, Arshdeep Singh impressed with figures of 3/35 from his four overs.

In response, Washington Sundar came in at No. 6 for the visitors and finished as the top scorer, remaining unbeaten on 49 off 23 balls with three fours and four sixes, guiding India to a five-wicket win with nine balls to spare. Praising the southpaw’s innings in a video on his YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan said:

“Washington Sundar looked like the best batter, playing his first match after making a comeback, and what a remarkable return it was. He even got the chance to bat higher up the order and completely justified his selection. Although he didn’t bowl even a single over, his unbeaten knock of 49 runs was a match-winning innings. The way he played the short ball was exceptional.”

“Remember, Axar Patel had gotten out to a short ball, with both hands very close together, but Sundar handled those same short deliveries brilliantly, hitting big shots with ease. His technique looked much better, and the manner in which he played, even against the spinners, when he waited and played that ball outside off straight down the ground, showed that he’s in solid form. He was patient, composed, and fully justified his selection. His batting looked excellent, under control, and he single-handedly snatched the game away from Australia,” he added.

With this win, India leveled the five-match series 1-1, with two games remaining.

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A look at Washington Sundar’s numbers in T20Is

Washington Sundar made his T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka in December 2017. Since then, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder has featured in 55 matches in the format. The off-spinner has picked up 48 wickets in 52 innings at an average of 23.50, a strike rate of 20.3, and an economy rate of 6.94, with best figures of 3/15.

With the bat, the southpaw has scored 242 runs in 23 innings at an average of 17.28 and a strike rate of 132.96, including a half-century with a top score of 50.