'There was no observation as such. I just went there and did the Yo-Yo test. The next day I came back home and I woke up and saw in newspapers that Washington flunked the fitness tests. Nobody spoke to me.'
After hitting his maiden first class century, young Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar, declared he is ready to clear the Yo-Yo test and stake his claim for selection to the Indian team.
Sundar, who shone in this year's Indian Premier League for Rising Pune Supergiant and recently picked up a 11-wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy final, had recently flunked the Yo-Yo test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Yo-Yo has been mandatory for all India cricketers by current strength and fitness conditioning coach Shankar Basu and only players who clear the 16.1 benchmark score are cleared for selection to the national team. Reportedly, Washington scored 15.7 in the yo-yo test as he missed a big chance to get picked for the Indian team for the recently-concluded three-match T20I series against Australia.
Earlier, senior players like Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina have also failed the Yo-Yo test and failed to make it back to the Indian team.
The 18-year-old, admitted he underwent the Yo-Yo test, but did not get to know about the result the same day nor was there any observation from those at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
"There was no observation as such. I just went there and did the Yo-Yo test. The next day I came back home and I woke up and saw in newspapers that Washington flunked the fitness tests. Nobody spoke to me. I got to know the results later and did not get to know there on the same day from them," he said on Sunday, after hitting his maiden first class century on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy Group C match against Tripura in Chennai.
Asked if there were any inputs or directives from NCA, Sundar said "If they call me for a test, I will definitely go. I hope they will call me. Hopefully I clear the test in the future."
The left-hander, who led Tamil Nadu to 332 for two with a splendid knock of 156 not out after Tripura had been dismissed for 258, said he was happy to get the chance to open and make it count.
"Obviously, it feels good for any youngster to score a hundred. I got an opportunity to open the innings today and I really wanted to make use of the opportunity and I am glad," he said.
Though he got to don the opener's role owing to Murali Vijay's absence due to a neck spasm, Sundar said he is ready to play at any slot.
"Yeah, I think I am an opening batsman and I enjoy opening the innings wherever I play. But wherever the team wants me to play, I should be ready and should be good enough to contribute in whatever role I may be given.
Asked if he is disappointed that he didn't get more opportunties as a bowler in the previous match against Andhra Pradesh, Sundar said, "Not at all. Because I know (Ravichandran) Ashwin. I know he is the No.1 Test bowler or all-rounder. So it is definitely important for me to understand those things as well. It's easy to get frustrated or anything. But I wasn’t
even disappointed or upset.
On whether he would have to relinquish the opening slot once Vijay is back, the left-hander said, "I am definitely ready for that. Whatever the team needs, I should be able to do that. That’s what is needed from a youngster like me."
