The India cricket team’s captain, Rohit Sharma, is returning to the side after missing the India vs Australia 1st Test. While they missed the game due to personal reasons, two of Team India’s most experienced players were made to sit out. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, arguably the best match winners for the nation in their Test history, were warming the bench in Perth.
Door not closed for Ashwin & Jadeja
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and interim captain, Jasprit Bumrah, thought Washington Sundar offered more than the veterans; therefore, he was slotted in before them. The decision received some pushback before the match started, but since Team India, no one questioned the decision after the game.
Although Rohit Sharma was tending to his family at the moment, he was asked about his thoughts on the decision to drop the spin twins. He claimed that the decision was made after thinking about what was best for the team. Now that he takes over, nothing will change, and the side will continue to make such a decision going forward.
“It’s always hard to leave experienced players like them (Ashwin and Jadeja) out. But I think the decision was made for what was best for the team at that particular time… and that is, I think, what we will look to do throughout the series,” the Indian captain said in the pre-match press conference in Adelaide.
However, Rohit Sharma didn’t rule out the possibility of either Jadeja or Ashwin returning to the team in the remaining matches of the India vs Australia Test series. “But I certainly see them playing a huge role in the rest of the series because what they bring to the table can never be written off. They are quality players,” he added.
Ashwin, Jadeja & Washington: 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 | 2 | 6 | 36.33 | 66 | 0 | 117 | 29.25 | 1 |
