Change of the guard? Who would have thought that a first home Test whitewash would see both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja getting dropped? Everyone knows that their age is catching up, but their performance hasn’t been so poor that neither gets a chance in the India vs Australia 1st Test.
Ashwin-Jadeja: Dropped after a decade
This is the first time since Adelaide 2014, when both Ashwin and Jadeja are available for selection but neither are part of India’s playing XI. Since the Spin twins’ debuts, they have been absent from the team sheet just six times. The last time this happened was in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy when both were unfit for the Gabba Test. Three years in the next Test match Down Under, neither are playing once again, but this time under different circumstances.
Gambhir’s plan
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who brought Washington Sundar in for the last two matches of the New Zealand Test series, has decided that the young off-spinner should play over not just Ashwin but also Jadeja. There is no doubt that Washington outdid them with both bat and ball against the Kiwis, but to go ahead with him over Jadeja, someone who’s been the best all-rounder in the world for at least half a decade, is a bold choice.
Right time to move on from Ashwin-Jadeja?
A choice that is indicative of what the mindset will be going forward. If Ashwin and Jadeja aren’t preferred away from home, why would that be the case at home? Spinners don’t come into the came in Australia that much, especially in Perth. So you’d expect to either pick your best spinner, which is Ashwin, or your best overall player, which as the record suggests is Jadeja.
Just one series of incredible performances was needed to drop not just one but both Ashwin and Jadeja. Of course, it’s their ages. Ashwin’s 38, and Jadeja turns 36 in less than two weeks. Since the start of this year, we’ve seen Ashwin needs more time to be at his best. This was the case against England. Then the same happened against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Jadeja, meanwhile, hasn’t slipped with the ball, but his batting returns have diminished post-2022.
At the same time, Sundar seems to be on the rise. It makes sense to bring him in, but not by discarding your best spinners.
Ashwin, Jadeja & Sundar: 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 |
