WTC Final: When was the last time Team India played two spinners in a Test in England?
India on Thursday announced their playing XI for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final against New Zealand. Interestingly, both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been included in the XI.
The conditions in England usually assist the fast bowlers. Hence, many believed that India would opt for an extra seamer. However, the management has put its faith in Jadeja and Ashwin's batting abilities over Mohammed Siraj's pace bowling.
India's last Test series on English soil was in 2018. In the last match of that series, the visitors played two spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari. Vihari, a batting all-rounder, bowled only 10.3 overs in two innings.
Two Tests prior, India named Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing XI. The match was played at Lord's and India lost by an innings and 159 runs.
India's ploy to pick two spinners backfired
Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav could not trouble the English batsmen in the Lord's Test. The hosts won the toss and invited India to bat. James Anderson's five-wicket haul helped England bowl the visitors out for only 107 in the first innings.
Chris Woakes' century powered England to 396/7 in response. Trailing by 189 runs, India managed only 130 in the second innings, falling to a heavy defeat.
Kuldeep bowled nine overs in that game, returning figures of 0/44. Meanwhile, Ashwin's bowling figures read 17-1-68-0.
It will be interesting to see how Ashwin and Jadeja perform in the WTC Final against New Zealand. The match will commence at 3:30 pm IST on Friday, June 18.