- SPIN:
Interestingly, India has gone in with just one spinner in the form of R. Ashwin. Instead of opting for a backup spinner in the form of Amit Mishra or Kuldeep Yadav, the selectors opted for an extra batsman in Manish Pandey. Ashwin himself hasn’t been in the best of form in the shorter formats and having missed the entire IPL due to sports hernia, he will be short of match practice. But one must remember, that Ashwin is a big tournament bowler and rises to the occasion. Rewind to early 2015, and fans remember how Ashwin was dropped midway in the tri-series in Australia before he made such a daunting comeback in the ICC World Cup. Thereby, underestimating the class of this champion spinner will be a grave offence.
With just two slow bowlers in the form of Jadeja and Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh’s role in the middle overs will become far more significant. The Punjab all-rounder has been a proven match winner with the ball, and if Virat Kohli uses him proactively in the middle overs, India could probably be gaining a colossal strategic advantage. Yuvraj as a spinner deserves to be tested in all games and he will surely do well as he has in the past.