There were challenges but my only aim was to improve as player which is in my control: Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar has had to endure a painful five months away from the game due to a finger injury but the lanky Tamil Nadu off-spinner in his own admission, used the time off to get better as a cricketer as that was all he could control. Washington missed out on the T20 World Cup but Ravichandran Ashwin's underwhelming show in white-ball games and subsequent ouster brought him back in the mix as he made his international return with 3/30 against West Indies in first ODI.

"There were a lot of challenges but I just wanted to do what I could do to improve myself as a cricketer. That's all that's in my control and I was only focussing on that," Washington said at post-match press conference.

Washington has understood in past two years that there would be roadblocks now and then but he will have to create his own mechanism to counter the issues. He first missed the T20 World Cup in UAE where he was a sure-shot starter and then COVID-19 played truant when he was about to board the flight to South Africa.

"Yes, there will always be challenges, that's something that I have realised especially in the last couple of years.

1/8In Pics: India beat West Indies by 6 wickets in landmark 1000th ODIShow Captions<p>Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar set up India's comfortable six-wicket victory over the West Indies for the hosts' landmark 1000th ODI on Sunday.

(ANI Photo)</p><p>Rohit Sharma took to the field as India's new full-time ODI captain and his decision to bowl was vindicated by the two spinners as the hosts bowled out the West Indies for 176 in Ahmedabad. (BCCI Photo)</p><p>The skipper's top-scoring 60 then helped India romp home in just 28 overs on the day they became the first team to pass the 1000 ODI.