"India are the best because we have three such spin bowling all-rounders" - Saba Karim lauds India's spin trio
Former keeper-batter Saba Karim believes that the luxury of having top spin bowling all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin has made India a formidable unit.
He noted that the three players add a lot of value to India's Test team, given their ability to contribute significantly with the bat lower down the order. The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out how Axar bailed the side out of trouble with a gritty knock in the recently concluded second Test against Australia in Delhi.
Speaking to India News Sports, Karim said:
"India are the best because we have three such spin bowling all-rounders. These three are very useful with the bat, especially in subcontinent conditions. Axar Patel batted very sensibly and scored crucial runs."
Notably, Australia had the upper hand at one stage in the Delhi Test after they left India tattering at 139/7 in their first innings. However, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin steadied the ship for their team, orchestrating a crucial 114-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Axar Patel is a cheat code 🔥
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Axar scored a brilliant half-century, his second of the series. The left-handed batter mustered 74 runs before finally being dismissed by off-spinner Todd Murphy.
"Hasn't been able to lead from the front" - Saba Karim critical of Pat Cummins' captaincy in the ongoing Test series against India
Saba Karim further stated that Australian captain Pat Cummins has so far failed to impress as a leader in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He opined that the Aussie skipper failed to make an impact with both bat and ball in the first two matches. Karim also suggested that Cummins hasn't been able to plan the dismissals of the Indian batters and that his field placements have been quite ineffective.
"Pat Cummins is a wonderful bowling all-rounder," the 55-year-old added. "It was expected that he will bowl a lot of cutters in these Indian conditions and set fields to plan dismissals, similar to what Glenn McGrath and James Anderson have done in the past. However, that kind of attitude and planning has been missing. Furthermore, he has not shown enough fight with the bat. He hasn't been able to lead from the front."
Cummins and Co. have a chance of making amends by coming up with an improved performance in the remaining two fixtures. However, they will have to return empty-handed as India have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Pat Cummins will travel due to some family issues 🏏
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The third Test between the two sides is set to kick off at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday, March 1.