IND vs ENG 4th Test – Ashwin vs Harbhajan: Ashwin all set for come back, can he break Harbhajan Singh’s record of 417 wickets? Ahead of each Test against England, discussions on Ravichandran Ashwin’s participation in India’s playing eleven take precedence. This time- ahead of India-England’s fourth Test at Oval, London, again the same story is getting repeated. The murmurs from team India’s camp is that Ashwin is set to make it to the Indian XI & if that happens, he can overtake Harbhajan Singh in wicket tally. Follow India vs England LIVE Updates on InsideSPORT.co
Also Read: India’s Record at Oval: Not only England, Kohli’s India faces big…
IND vs ENG 4th Test – Ashwin vs Harbhajan: Ashwin on verge of breaking Harbhajan Singh’s record
IND vs ENG 4th Test – Ashwin vs Harbhajan: If Ashwin gets a chance to play against England in the fourth Test, he can potentially break Harbhajan Singh’s record.
In the Tests, the former Indian player- Bhajji has taken a total of 417 Test wickets.
Ashwin, who currently has 413 wickets under his belt can all likely break this record if he gets a chance to play for Virat Kohli led side in the penultimate match of the Test series.
IND vs ENG 4th Test – What are the chances of Ashwin playing 4th test?
With Ravindra Jadeja’s knee injury and Virat Kohli’s declaration to go with a different playing template, Ashwin has a big chance of donning the whites for India at Oval.
For the longest time, Oval has offered flat pitches for the players to play on. Fairly, the turf can offer spin assistance on the last days of the red ball game. Thus Ashwin’s inclusion could be a good boost to the Indian side.
Besides, having played at the surface for a brief time after WTC Final, Ashwin is better acclimatized to the playing conditions where he played for Surrey for a short County stint ahead of the Test series. He outplayed Somerset’s batting with 6/27 in 15 overs, dismantling them for 69 in their second innings.
Despite such sublime form ahead of the start of the series, it was disappointing to see the 34-year old warming the benches and carrying the drinks for the team so far in the series.
‘They have to pick Ashwin’, says Dilip Vengsarkar
Not just the form backing the senior Indian spinner, former India captain and ex-selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar backed Ashwin vouched of his inclusion in the penultimate Test of the series.
“They have to pick Ashwin. It’s very hard for me to digest that the (team’s) best spinner was out of the playing eleven in the first three Tests. Who you will drop? It’s up to the Indian think-tank. The best spinner should be playing,” Dilip Vengsarkar told The Indian Express.
Not long ago, Alec Stewart, Surrey’s long-serving director of cricket emphasized the crucial fact to include Ashwin in the upcoming Test.
“He’s a proven world-class performer. He won’t let anyone down, he’s that skilled, whether he goes for two runs an over or takes big numbers of wickets, though I’ll leave that decision to Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri.” But he warned that Ashwin shouldn’t expect quite such a receptive pitch as the one he enjoyed in July: “That pitch spun! It will be like chalk and cheese with the Test pitch.
“At the Oval, Test pitches generally turn towards the end of the match. I’m sure Chris Silverwood or Ashely Giles will have had a conversation with [the groundsman] but history says that on days four and five they assist the spinner.”
Thus, by dint of the recent form, experts opinions, Oval’s turf, and playing conditions, the right arm off-spinner all point towards Ashwin’s inclusion in the XI.
Also read: ENG vs IND Dream11 Prediction for 4th Test, Playing11, Fantasy Tips, Live Streaming – 02nd September
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