IND vs AUS: The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is already on, and the Indian Cricket Team won the first match of the series by a margin of 295 runs. India did not field Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI. It is not often that the team goes into a Test match without any of Ashwin and Jadeja. The last time India did not play a Test with either Ashwin or Jadeja in the team was the fourth match of the BGT 2020-21 at the Gabba. Jadeja suffered a fractured thumb in Sydney, and Ashwin was ruled out with a back strain.
Washington Sundar was picked up as the lone spinner in the XI primarily due to his superior batting abilities. It looks likely that Sundar will feature yet again as the lone spinner in the team in the Pink Ball Test match at the Adelaide Oval. As per TOI, the team management will not consider the experience of Jadeja and Ashwin and will bank on the good form shown by Sundar in the home Test series against New Zealand.
“There’s a 90% chance that (Washington) Sundar will play in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval,” a source in the BCCI was quoted as saying to TOI.
Washington Sundar is being looked at as the next leader of the spin bowling attack of India
Sundar is being looked at as the next leader of the spin bowling attack given that Ashwin and Jadeja are in the twilight period of their careers. He scalped two wickets in the first Test match at the Optus Stadium and scored 33 runs across two innings of the Test match. India did play a Pink Ball warm-up game against the Prime Minister’s XI. Sundar picked up one wicket in the match and remained not out on 42 runs off 36 deliveries.
Now it remains to be seen if India does play one more spinner. However, if they do field one spinner, then Ashwin and Jadeja will be sidelined yet again, and Sundar will be the first pick in Adelaide.
