We could definitely see both of them bowling in tandem: Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun on Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja
India suffered a humiliating defeat in the third Test against England at Headingley in Leeds. The visitors put in an abysmal batting performance on the first day to hand England the initiative to go on to level the five-match series at 1-1.
With the series finely poised, all eyes will shift to the Kennington Oval in London on Thursday, as the two sides look to take the upper hand in the series.
Ahead of the fourth Test, India's bowling coach Bharat Arun interacted with the press. Arun provided an update on Ravindra Jadeja's fitness and also shed light on the subject of Ravichandran Ashwin's return to playing eleven.
"It was just a normal precautionary scan that we went through. All he (Jadeja) had to was wear the hospital dress and he took a picture of that and that created a bigger scam than that. There is nothing to it and Jadeja is absolutely fit," said Arun.
The Indian bowling coach also suggested that India could finally ditch their four fast bowlers template with Ashwin returning back to the playing eleven. He said:
"It depends on the conditions, the wickets and things like that. There is no doubt that Ashwin is probably one of our best bowlers but it is unfortunate that he hasn't bowled so far. If there is an opportunity and if we feel that he is going to fit into the scheme of things, we could definitely see both of them bowling in tandem."
He added:
"The history at the Oval suggests it helps spin, but we also know how the Englishmen are weary of Ashwin's abilities and what he can do if there is any little assistance from the track. I think the most realistic option would be to have a look at the track tomorrow morning because anything can happen from now until tomorrow."
India can take confidence from what we have done in the past: Bharat Arun
This is not the first time India have had their backs against the wall in a Test series. The visitors will be looking to draw some inspiration from their recent debacle in Australia, where they were bowled out for 36 but managed to bounce back to seal a historic series win.
Here's what Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun had to say about how his side can bounce back in this series:
"We have done it in the past. We have been bowled out for 36 and bounce back from that. Even in India, it was a big defeat that we suffered in the first Test against England. I think we have our ways to bounce back and we have done it in the past. We can take the confidence from what we have done in the past and I am sure you will see a much more spirited performance in the coming Test matches," said Arun.