Reports have emerged that neither of Ravi Ashwin or Ravi Jadeja will be in India’s XI when it’s named on Friday for the first cricket Test against Australia. India and Australia will kick off a blockbuster five-Test series in Perth, with Pat Cummins’ men desperate to regain the Border-Gavasker Trophy for the first time since 2017.
India have won the last four Test series against Australia, and the last time the Aussies took down India was back in 2015. But this summer marks the first time in history that Australia and India will do battle across a five-Test series, and the tourists appear worried about the workload for their bowlers.
According to local media, veteran spinners Ashwin and Jadeja will both be put on ice for the first Test and saved for the rest of the series. Aswin (536) and Jadeja (319) have a combined total of 855 Test wickets between them, but a fast and bouncy Perth wicket is expected to favour the seamers.
India are expected to play three fast-bowlers and use part-timer Washington Sundar as their spinner. All-rounder Nitish Reddy and paceman Harshit Rana will reportedly debut, with Rana joining Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah in the pace attack.
Veteran captain Rohit Sharma will miss the Test after he decided to remain in India for the birth of his child, while Shubman Gill is out with a finger injury. Bumrah will captain the tourists in Rohit’s absence.
The decision to leave out both Ashwin and Jadeja is a curious one, particularly considering Ashwin’s pedigree. The 38-year-old could have made use of the bounce that is expected to be on offer in Perth, although it looks like he’s being saved for the rest of the series.
India have never played more than four Tests in a series against Australia, and the other pitches will be more favourable for the spinners. It’s reminiscent of the 2021/22 Ashes series in Australia in which England opted to keep Stuart Broad and James Anderson on ice for the first Test.
Strange team selection from team India, Neither of Jadeja and Ashwin is surprising
— Cricket360 (@CrickTak) November 21, 2024
#AUSvIND So reports this morning that India are poised to leave out both Ashwin and Jadeja for the first test in Perth.
That would be extraordinary tbh and leave Bumrah and Kohli maybe the most experienced players in that Indian test line up?
— Crowdiegal (@crowdiegal) November 21, 2024
Washington over Ashwin or Jadeja in the XI is a bold pick, but it makes sense: that height will be useful while bowling on the Perth pitch.
— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) November 21, 2024
Brave call by India if they do leave out both Ashwin & Jadeja. Whispers before the test were the team management discussed the option of Kohli to bat at no.3 but some reports suggesting even Washington Sundar could be at 3. #AUSvsIND
— Gav Joshi (@Gampa_cricket) November 21, 2024
India’s expected XI for first Test:
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Paddikal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah (c).
Australia XI for first Test:
Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
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Jasprit Bumrah tips Virat Kohli to shine against Australia
Meanwhile, stand-in captain Bumrah has insisted India aren’t carrying any baggage from their embarrassing recent Test whitewash against New Zealand, which marked the first time they’d ever list 3-0 at home. And Bumrah also warned Australia that struggling batter Virat Kohli was looking “ominous”.
“The beauty about cricket is even if you win, you start from zero, and even if you lose you start from zero,” he told reporters on Thursday. “So that’s how I look at the game.
“Obviously, yes, we were disappointed and we were down that we had a tough series (against New Zealand). But we are not carrying any baggages. We come with a fresh mindset, different opposition and you learn from the changes that have happened in our team.”
Kohli has a phenomenal record in Australia, averaging 54.08. But he’s endured a staggering drought of runs over the last two years.
“He is one of the greats of the game,” said Bumrah. “He’s the utmost professional that we have in our team. He’s got a lot of success. Okay, one or two series here and there can go up and down, but the confidence that he has at this moment, I have no doubts. He’s looking to contribute. And the way I’ve seen him at training … the signs are ominous.”
