IND vs AUS 2017: Mohammad Azharuddin Raises Questions Over Exclusion of Ashwin, Jadeja
Sep 12, 2017 at 10:27 AM
Mohammad Azharuddin, the former India skipper, has raised questions over the selectors’ decision to rest the duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the first three ODIs against Australia.
While Ashwin is playing County Cricket in England, Jadeja is on rest from the past one month, as after being banned by ICC for the third Test against Sri Lanka, he flew back home and was later rested for the limited-overs series.
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Now both of them have been given an extended run off the field, which has not come good to Azharuddin,
“I can understand if both Ashwin and Jadeja are rested for the Sri Lankan series. But when India is playing against a team like Australia, your best spinners should be used. After all, you are playing at home and on wickets that suit them. They should have been given a chance to play the Australian series,” Azhar told TOI.
Further, Azhar, veteran of 99 Test matches, said that even though Ashwin is playing County Cricket, he would still have played him if he were the captain of the team,
“It’s good that Ashwin is playing in the County championship. The County stint will do a world of good to his confidence. But if I were a captain, I would definitely make Ashwin and Jadeja play in the Australia series at home,” he added.
Unsurprisingly, it could be Ashwin’s form in ODI cricket which could have forced selectors to keep him out. From past two years, he has not been a regular member of the ODI team, and the biggest surprise came when he was benched for the first game of ICC Champions Trophy against Pakistan, which is certainly an indication that captain also is looking beyond him.
Jadeja’s case is a mysterious one, as he is already on rest from the past one month. If not India, selectors could have even asked him to lay Duleep Trophy, but they have no intention to make Jadeja play as of now.
The 16-member squad announced by the selectors on September 10 is for the first three ODIs, and it would be interesting to see whether there would be some changes in the list or not. Should Jadeja and Ashwin come back, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal might have to make way for them, but if these two perform in the given chances, then it can surely result in extended rest for Ashwin and Jadeja.
The limited-over series between India and Australia starts on September 17 with the first ODI to be played in Chennai.
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