Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the series decider at Lord’s with a hamstring injury, with left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey drafted in as his replacement for the winner-takes-all third ODI on Sunday.
India have named left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey as the injury replacement for Washington Sundar ahead of the decisive third ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday, July 19. Sundar sustained a hamstring injury during the first innings of the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday and has been ruled out of the remainder of the series.
The 26-year-old all-rounder will undergo scans and seek a specialist opinion for further management of the injury, the BCCI confirmed. The three-match series is locked at 1-1, setting up a high-stakes decider at the Home of Cricket.
How Sundar’s Injury Unfolded
The injury occurred during a seemingly innocuous moment in Cardiff. Sundar pulled up while running between wickets during the first innings of the second ODI at Sophia Gardens, feeling his hamstring as he completed a single to mid-off. He was immediately attended to by the team physio during a break in play and was seen getting his thigh strapped up.
Despite the treatment, Sundar bravely opted to continue batting. That decision proved costly on the very next delivery, as England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood targeted his restricted movement with a sharp, short-pitched ball that Sundar could only edge through to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, departing for just 2 off 5 balls.
“Washington’s injury which he had when he ran his first run to mid-off. His hamstring, I think, it looks like a bad injury, and next ball he got out,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said after the match.
Sundar did not take the field during England’s chase, a telling indicator of the severity of the injury. England went on to win the second ODI by four wickets, with Joe Root anchoring the chase with a dogged 99 not out, to level the series at 1-1.
A Significant Blow to India’s Balance
Sundar’s absence is a significant disruption to India’s carefully constructed ODI combination. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder had been in excellent form during the tour, playing a pivotal role in India’s six-wicket victory in the series opener at Edgbaston, where his match-winning unbeaten 52 in partnership with Axar Patel guided the chase.
India value Sundar specifically for the batting depth he provides in the lower middle order, his ability to bowl tight off-spin in the middle overs, and his versatility as a multi-format player who has grown from a fringe option into a cornerstone of the team’s balance across all three formats.
The challenge for captain Shubman Gill and the team management is that India have no like-for-like replacement for Sundar in the touring squad. Their other all-round options, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya, are both injured and unavailable. The selection of Dubey provides a spin-bowling option, but he does not carry the same batting credentials as Sundar at this stage of his career.
Who Is Harsh Dubey?
Dubey, 23, is a left-arm orthodox spin bowling all-rounder from Pune who represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. His rise over the past 12 months has been one of the most compelling stories in Indian domestic cricket.
The 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season was Dubey’s breakthrough. Despite it being his first full season for Vidarbha, he delivered a record-breaking campaign, claiming 69 wickets while also contributing 476 runs with the bat. He was named Player of the Tournament as Vidarbha won the title, with standout performances throughout the knockout stages, including a five-wicket haul in the semi-final against Mumbai and three crucial wickets in the final against Kerala that denied the opposition a first-innings lead. He also captained Vidarbha to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title in the same season.
His domestic form earned him an India call-up, and Dubey made his international debut in June 2026 during the two-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Dharamsala. He picked up four wickets across the two matches, showing composure and control that belied his inexperience at the highest level.
“I now have a lot more clarity about my role, my ability, and what I can do on the ground,” Dubey said during the Duleep Trophy earlier this season. “I think it’s a mix of clarity and the right opportunities at the right time.”
Though Dubey was a late call-up for Sunrisers Hyderabad and played only three IPL games, the franchise retained him ahead of the 2026 season, a reflection of the regard in which his potential is held within Indian cricket circles.
India’s Options for the Lord’s Decider
The team management now faces a tactical dilemma ahead of Sunday’s must-win match. Several scenarios are being considered.
If India want to maintain a spin bowling option in Sundar’s absence, Kuldeep Yadav is the most likely candidate to come into the playing XI. The left-arm wristspinner has been on the fringes of the squad after a difficult IPL in 2026, having featured in just one of India’s 13 matches since across formats. But his ability to provide a different angle of spin at Lord’s, where the pitch has historically offered assistance to slower bowlers, makes him a viable option.
Alternatively, if the conditions at Lord’s do not warrant a frontline spinner, India could consider fielding both KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan in the same XI. Rahul missed the second ODI with illness, and Kishan deputized impressively in his absence. Playing both would strengthen the batting lineup but would leave India without a sixth bowling option.
Dubey’s inclusion in the squad provides additional flexibility. While he may not start the match, his left-arm spin and lower-order batting give the management a contingency plan if conditions demand it.
India’s Updated Squad for the 3rd ODI
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Harsh Dubey.
A Series Decider Worthy of Lord’s
The stage could hardly be grander. Lord’s, cricket’s most famous ground, will host its first India vs England ODI decider since the iconic 2002 NatWest Series final, when India chased down 326 in one of the greatest ODI finishes ever played.
India won the first ODI at Edgbaston by six wickets, powered by Virat Kohli’s continued excellence at the top of the order and Sundar’s composed half-century. England struck back at Cardiff, where Root’s patient 99 not out guided the hosts home with four wickets in hand, leveling the series and setting up the Lord’s showdown.
For Dubey, who was born in Pune and grew up playing his cricket in Vidarbha’s red-ball system, the prospect of being part of an India squad at Lord’s for a series decider would have seemed unimaginable 18 months ago. Whether or not he features in the playing XI on Sunday, his call-up is a confirmation that his meteoric domestic rise has placed him firmly in India’s plans for the future.
The third ODI at Lord’s begins at 11:00 AM local time (3:30 PM IST) on Sunday, July 19.
CricketVoices will provide live updates, team news, and post-match analysis from the Lord’s decider.
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