IND vs ENG 2021: 3 reasons why Ravichandran Ashwin could replace Ravindra Jadeja at Headingley
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja played ahead of veteran offie Ravichandran Ashwin in the first two Tests against England at Trent Bridge and Lord’s respectively.
Although Ishant Sharma was unfit for the series opener, India preferred pacer Shardul Thakur ahead of Ashwin. Team India dominated the first Test. While they could not win the match as rain washed out the entire last-day’s play, captain Virat Kohli admitted that the team for the opening Test would be their 'template' for the rest of the series.
And so, it wasn’t a surprise when the visitors went into the second Test with Jadeja again playing as the lone spinner instead of Ashwin. Team India put up a brilliant show and came from behind to register a 151-run triumph at Lord’s.
Will Ashwin replace Jadeja in the third Test?
While Kohli said after the first Test that the team’s template was in place, here are three reasons why Ashwin might come back into the playing XI instead of Jadeja in Headingley.
#1 Jadeja has failed to deliver as the lead spinner
Although the pacers are always expected to pick up the bulk of wickets in England, Jadeja’s performance has been disappointing even if we consider that yardstick. The left-arm spinner hasn’t looked threatening at all.
In the first Test in Nottingham, Jadeja had figures of 0/11 (3 overs) and 0/39 (13 overs). At Lord’s, he sent down 22 wicketless overs and gave away 43 runs in the first innings. The slow bowler was economical in the second essay, giving away only five runs in his six overs but the wickets column was again empty.
In fact, India played both Jadeja and Ashwin in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand. There too, the former failed to make too much of an impression. He picked up one wicket in the Test from 15.2 overs. After three Tests on the current tour, Jadeja has one wicket at an average of 143. Clearly something that will need to be looked at.
#2 Leeds surface likely to offer turn on last two days
In Nottingham, rain was expected to play a big part and it did as the last day was completely washed out and there were interruptions on other days as well. As such, pace was always going to be the defining factor.
In the second Test at Lord’s though, there was definitely spin on the last two days. As Moeen Ali got the ball to rip and picked up the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja on the penultimate day of the Test, critics started to ponder whether India had erred by leaving out Ashwin.
Of course India’s pacers bowled so well on the final day, they didn’t need the services of their spinner. Having said that, there would definitely have been help for Ashwin at Lord’s in the second innings had he played the Test.
Like Lord’s, Leeds is also expected to offer turn on the last two days. So Ashwin’s name should come into consideration. Whether he gets selected or not is another matter altogether.
Former Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad has also batted for Ashwin’s inclusion in the playing XI. He told The Telegraph India
“Ashwin will provide the perfect balance. Jadeja has to work on his bowling. He is giving away too many full-length deliveries and half volleys making it easier for the batsmen. His bowling is neither here nor there…Not acceptable in Test matches. Ashwin can be an important part of India’s game plan. He can also bat well, better than Ishant. I would always play two spinners at this time of the year.”
#3 India’s lower-order contributing with the bat
Apart from his bowling, one of the key reasons why Jadeja was included in the XI for the first two Tests was to strengthen the lower-order batting. Going into the Test series, not much was expected from Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj with the bat.
However, significant contributions from the tail have been a pleasantly surprising takeaway for India from the first two Tests. India were 232 for 8 in the first innings in Nottingham. The last two wickets added 46 to lift India to 278. Bumrah contributed 28 and Shami 13.
The duo outdid themselves at Lord’s. This time, Shami cracked a half-century, while Bumrah made a crucial 34 as they added an unbroken 89 for the ninth wicket. The stand proved to be a match-defining one as India’s bowlers rolled over England in under two sessions in their second innings.
True, Jadeja also made vital contributions with the bat in the first two Tests, scoring 56 and 40. But placing greater faith in the tail’s batting abilities in the upcoming matches would be a just reward for their performances in the first two matches. That could, perhaps, also pave the way for Ashwin’s return.