When was the last time India played a Test without both R Ashwin & Ravindra Jadeja before BGT 2024-25?
Team India have kickstarted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a bombshell by not naming Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI for the first Test against Australia in Perth. Instead, all-rounder Washington Sundar was preferred as a frontline spinner alongside the pace quartet.
Jadeja has usually been India's first-choice spin bowling choice in overseas conditions, the left-arm all-rounder has provided batting depth and relieved the pacers with his bowling. Ashwin has also marked his presence away from home on select occasions, and India have not had to look beyond the duo for quite a while.
The famous duo have more or less bowled in tandem when available in home Tests, while at least one of them always makes it to the playing XI in away encounters. However, this now marks a rare instance where India are without the veteran duo in Test cricket.
The last instance of the pair being absent in a Test match for India came during the famous fourth Test against Australia at The Gabba during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Unlike this time around, it was injuries that ruled the duo out of contention in the series finale. Jadeja had dislocated his left thumb in the third Test in Sydney, while Ashwin also suffered an injury in the same contest while trying to bat out in a bid for a draw.
Amid the injury crisis, Washington Sundar had made his debut as the frontline spinner in the playing XI.
"Brave, bold move first up" - Matthew Hayden on Ashwin and Jadeja's exclusion
There was expectedly a lot of surprise behind Team India's decision to keep the veteran duo on the bench. Former Australia batter Michael Hussey had acknowledged during the broadcast that he expected at least one of them to pay, while Matthew Hayden labeled the call as 'brave and bold'.
"Brave, bold move first up. Maybe it is the new captain Bumrah wanting to stomp his authority. Maybe it is the new coach (Gautam Gambhir). We always knew how he loved to play, maybe he is the same in the dugout," Hayden said on Channel 7.
Team India are placed at 14-2 in the 12th over of the first innings after stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah opted to bat first.