"I will play both Shardul Thakur and Ashwin"- Aakash Chopra surprisingly drops Ravindra Jadeja from his bowling attack for 5th Test vs England
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has made the bold decision to leave out star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja from his predicted bowling attack for the fifth Test against England at Edgbaston.
Just a couple of Tests ago, Jadeja smashed 175* and also picked up 10 wickets in the same game. However, the 44-year-old feels the No. 1-ranked Test all-rounder needs some rest and should be replaced by veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra explained why he would play Shardul Thakur and Ashwin as the two all-rounders. He also spoke about the pace attack he would go in with and said:
"I will play both Shardul Thakur and Ashwin and ask Jadeja to rest a bit. If you are batting first then I will play the pace trio of Shami, Bumrah and Siraj. But if there are seaming conditions, I would think hard and would be tempted to play Umesh Yadav as he has the knack of picking wickets."
Looks like @ashwinravi99 will definitely be part of the playing XI for the fifth test against England at @Edgbaston starting from Friday. Here he is inspecting the wicket with Head Coach Rahul Dravid.
#ENGvIND https://t.co/NWwGxA4PFX
Aakash Chopra on England's new-look batting approach
England were simply sensational against New Zealand as they became the first team in history to chase down three successive targets of 270+ in Tests. Their attacking brand of cricket, led by Jonny Bairstow, has got everyone excited.
However, Aakash Chopra believes that if conditions help the bowlers a bit, this approach from England might not work. He stated:
"Last year, they had a weak batting line-up. It was only Joe Root and no one else as everyone else looked like walking wickets. But this time they are playing with a completely different mindset. But I feel if you get seaming conditions and a good bowling attack in front of you, this strategy won't work. But the truth is they are winning, batting is in form and they have the attacking intent."
The onus will be on Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah to play a major role in stopping the England batting juggernaut.