Ravichandran Ashwin, who was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, might get the nod as Team India’s only spinner for the Perth Test. Ashwin, who struggled quite a bit during the New Zealand series, is expected to pip Ravindra Jadeja. According to Indian Express, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir strongly believes in match-ups, and due to an abundance of left-handers in Australia’s team, he wants to pick Ashwin over Jadeja for the India vs Australia 1st Test.
India’s bowling line-up: Ashwin, Nitish Kumar Reddy & 3 pacers
From what has been seen, Optus Stadium will be a fast bowler’s haven. Expected to be a green top, spinners won’t exactly come into play, especially in the first three days of the match. Therefore, India wants to field three out-and-out fast bowlers, one pace-bowling all-rounder in Nitish Kumar Reddy, and just one spinner, Ashwin.
Ashwin over Jadeja
Australia haven’t named their XI yet, but Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Alex Carey will certainly play. All three are lefties; therefore, Ashwin will have a favourable match-up against them. One can’t forget how good the off-spinner is against southpaws. No one in Test cricket history has gotten more left-handers out than Ashwin. He also troubled Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne during the last BGT.
Ashwin has more experience than any Indian bowler in Australia. He’s travelled Down Under four times already and has played 10 matches. His bowling has improved over time, and in the last two BGT series, he’s averaged better than Nathan Lyon, Australia’s premier spinner. In contrast, Jadeja has played just 4 matches. His numbers are superior, but he hasn’t had to battle the Aussies as much as Ashwin.
Ashwin & Jadeja: Tests stat comparison in Australia
| Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Strike Rate | 5w | Runs | Batting Average | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwin | 10 | 39 | 42.15 | 86.2 | 0 | 384 | 24 | 2 |
| Jadeja | 4 | 14 | 21.78 | 54.2 | 0 | 175 | 43.75 | 2 |
| Sundar | 1 | 4 | 42.25 | 73.5 | 0 | 84 | 42 | 1 |
Why not Washington Sundar over Ashwin?
It’ll be slightly puzzling if Washington Sundar isn’t considered. Similar to Ashwin, Sundar is an off-spinner and has found success with both bat and ball in Australia. He was a member of the historic Gabba victory. Sundar’s played just one match in Australia but has taken 4 wickets and scored 84 runs in that game.
One can’t forget that Sundar was asked to bowl ahead of Ashwin at the backend of the India vs New Zealand Test series. If Gambhir trusted Sundar more on spinning tracks in India where Ashwin thrives, why isn’t he being backed in Australia?
