After his failure at the Adelaide Test, where he picked up only one wicket, not many many expect spinner R Ashwin to retain his spot for the IND vs AUS third Test in Gabba. But then, Team India, after all, might persist with their most-experienced bowler on the tour. If Thursday’s nets session is a giveaway, then Ashwin could again play ahead of the likes of Washington Sundar and even Ravindra Jadeja.
R Ashwin in For Washington Sundar?
Ashwin spent some time batting in the nets against India bowling coach Morne Morkel, who was visibly bowling two yards farther away from the popping crease, to make the batsman acquainted to the pace and bounce on the Brisbane track.
In a video uploaded by Bharat Sundaresan, Morkel could be seen extracting some bounce, with Ashwin leaving it alone. Speaking about the Gabba pitch, curator David Sandurski told cricket.com.au, that the wicket will have some life in it. “Different times of year makes it different, it can be a slightly different pitch.”
IND vs AUS, 3rd Test
“Pitches later in the season might have a bit more wear and tear while ones early in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them. Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for. We are just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do each year,” he added.
Meanwhile, Team India has happy memories from The Gabba, from the 2020-21 tour, where a win ensured we won the second series on the trot Down Under. This time around too, Rohit Sharma & Co. would be looking for a massive turnaround, after a 10 wicket-loss at Adelaide.
