The Indian team, after the five Tests at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand in the home season, will take the flight to Australia for the upcoming five-match red-ball series during the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. This has raised questions of whether India would look to prepare an extra pacer for the encounters.
Generally, when India plays at home, they tend to go with two of their veteran spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, in the side, while the choice of the third spinner depends on the condition. During the last five-match home series against England, they brought Kuldeep Yadav for the game.
Ashwin played the home series, but because of the attacking mindset of the Ben Stokes-led side, Rohit Sharma decided to bring a change in the dynamics of their bowling, which saw the return of Kuldeep Yadav in the team.
Dinesh Karthik wants India to play these two spinners against Bangladesh
During a recent show on ‘Cricbuzz’, one of the users asked the former Indian wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, if he thinks Kuldeep should be played ahead of Axar in the upcoming home Tests as the third spinner despite the latter’s batting capabilities.
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“Should Kuldeep Yadav Play Ahead of Axar Patel in the next home Tests as the third spinner?” The user commented.
The left-arm wrist spinner has collected 53 wickets with the red-ball for India in just 12 games at an average of 21.05 and a strike rate of 37, with four five-wicket hauls, thanks to his best of 5/40 in an innings. The consistency was something the Uttar Pradesh-born lacked towards the start of his career but has received in the present time.
Axar Patel, on the flip side, brings the batting strength with him. During the Australia series at home earlier in 2023, there were many instances when India was under pressure, but the left-handed batter saved them from the position. In 14 games, the Gujarat-born has smashed 646 runs at an average of 35.88 with four fifties, besides picking up 55 wickets at an average of under 20.
Karthik, however, has decided to go with two of India’s most experienced spinners in the longest format. The Tamil Nadu-born also feels that pitches had been expected to be pace-oriented, which would help them in making plans for the Australia tour.
“First of all, I get the feeling that India is going to play on slightly pace-oriented pitches, knowing that it will be a good way to beat Bangladesh, and also preparing for the Australia Test series coming right ahead down under end of the year. It will be in the back of their mind.” The veteran wicket-keeper remarked.
“I think they are going to play two spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, followed by three fast bowlers.” Dinesh Karthik expressed on ‘Cricbuzz.’
Ashwin is the second leading wicket-taker for India in the longest format of the game, with 516 wickets in 100 games at an average of 23.75 and a strike rate of around eight overs, as he has celebrated 36 five-wicket hauls besides a best bowling figure of 7/59 in an inning.
Jadeja is India’s seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests, as he is six short from becoming the seventh bowler to pick more than 300 wickets for India in the format. His average of 24.13 is quite good, along with his strike rate of nearly ten overs, with 13 five-wicket hauls.
Both of them can contribute with the bat, which will be another advantage for the Indian team before the two Tests in Chennai and Kanpur against Bangladesh.