"Who would have thought Umesh Yadav would pick up 3 wickets on this pitch" - Harbhajan Singh says Rohit Sharma should have used Axar Patel

Harbhajan Singh feels Rohit Sharma should have used Axar Patel with the ball in Australia's second innings when Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja failed to get a breakthrough.

Steve Smith and Co. needed 76 runs in the final innings of the third Test against India in Indore on Friday, March 3. They lost Usman Khawaja's wicket off the second delivery of the innings before a run was put on the board.

However, Travis Head (49) and Marnus Labuschagne (28) strung together an unbroken 78-run second-wicket partnership to help the visitors register an emphatic nine-wicket win.

During a post-match discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan was asked whether Rohit should have tried Axar Patel for a couple of overs when Ashwin was unhappy with the replacement ball. He replied in the affirmative, reasoning:

"Absolutely, you never know which bowler bowls such a ball, the one door of opportunity had to be opened, which R Ashwin opened that day (on the second morning) and then Umesh Yadav came and picked up three wickets. Who would have thought Umesh Yadav would pick up three wickets on this pitch but that is what happens."

Harbhajan reckons the Indian skipper should have used his bowlers in short bursts, elaborating:

"R Ashwin bowled 10 overs. There they should have been given short spells. They could have given four to five overs to R Ashwin, four to five overs to Ravindra Jadeja and you could have got Axar Patel for two to four overs."

Axar Patel bowling in the first 10 overs in Tests

9 wickets, 3.7 avg, 1.18 ER, 18.7 SR

Trusting Jadeja is fine, but this has not been his match. Some proactiveness required from Rohit here.

While Ashwin operated from one end throughout Australia's second innings, Jadeja bowled seven overs from the other end. Although Umesh Yadav was given two overs, Axar was not brought into the attack at all.

"You have to use your entire resources" - Harbhajan Singh on R Ashwin not being too effective

Ravichandran Ashwin did not look threatening once the ball was changed after 10 overs. [P/C: BCCI]

While acknowledging that the replacement ball was not to Ashwin's liking, Harbhajan Singh pointed out that the Tamil Nadu off-spinner was not at his best, observing:

"You have to use your entire resources. They didn't do that. I agree he (Ashwin) didn't like the ball but his bowling was also not to everyone's liking. The sharpness was seen in the first two or three overs."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by highlighting that the Indian spinners were not as effective as Nathan Lyon, stating:

"After that, he got into a slightly defensive mindset. The spin and bounce that we saw in Nathan Lyon's bowling, we didn't get to see that. The Indian spinners disappointed me a little."

Ashwin again lost the concentration here.
Earlier in Ind tour of SA, it was because of a lbw appeal and here in Indore it is because of ball change.

#INDvsAUSTest #Ashwin

Lyon (8/64) ran through the Indian batting lineup in the second innings by bowling an immaculate line and length. The Indian spinners, on the other hand, frequently erred in length, thereby allowing the Australian batters to score a few easy runs.