"Often dictated the outcome" - Glenn Maxwell earmarks Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to be decisive in IND vs AUS 2024 Test series
Veteran Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell reckons Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be quite influential in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series later this year. The Victorian believes Australia have usually been in a better place when they've played Ashwin and Jadeja well.
Jadeja and Ashwin have been the lynchpin of India's bowling attack in Tests for over a decade. The pair have combined for nearly 800 Test wickets and accumulated more than 6000 runs under their belt. While they are bonafide wicket-takers in home Tests, they play an integral role in holding up one end in overseas series.
Speaking to Star Sports, Maxwell reflected that the veteran spin-bowling duo have often dictated the outcome of several games when India and Australia have battled. Hence, the spin-bowling all-rounder believes Australia must be prepared for them. He said:
"I think that over a long period of time, having played against guys like Ashwin and Jadeja, those two seem to have always been the ones we've faced consistently, and the battles we've had with them have often dictated the outcome of the game.
"If we play well against those two (Ashwin, Jadeja), we'll generally find ourselves in a better position compared to when they've had a field day and run through us. Those two guys have been there for most of my career, being of a similar age."
Ashwin recently completed 523 Test scalps, while Jadeja is on the verge of completing 300 Test wickets.
Glenn Maxwell to play red-ball cricket for Victoria this season
Meanwhile, Maxwell is all set to don the whites for Victoria in the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield competition, set to commence on October 8. The veteran is likely to be in contention for the two-Test rubber in Sri Lanka early next year. Victoria skipper Will Sutherland claimed, as quoted by news.com.au:
"I think he’ll be available for a couple (of games) and I believe he’s keen to play as well. Obviously, things can change with him playing at the moment, but to have a player like Glenn potentially come into our side is a bit of a luxury, so hopefully that can work out nicely."
The 35-year-old had last played a Test in 2017.