Former India batter turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra is not convinced with the idea of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bowling in tandem in ODIs. He added that India need wicket-taking bowlers in the middle overs and the Jadeja-Ashwin pair does not fulfill the criteria as well. While Ashwin registered figures of 1/47 in 10 overs, Jadeja scalped 1/51 from his quota of 10 overs as well.
He said on his YouTube channel: “The spinners bowled economical spells. Ashwin did not start well; he was hit for a few boundaries. But he was playing ODI cricket after a while, so it can get difficult. However, he bounced back strongly and also claimed a wicket. Ravindra Jadeja was also economical, which is a good thing when the pitch is flat. My only concern is Jadeja and Ashwin bowling in tandem doesn’t work. If it was working, the team wouldn’t have looked in a different direction many years back.”
Both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja got key wickets during the first ODI against Australia in Mohali. While the veteran off-spinner dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for 39, the left-arm spinner dismissed David Warner (52) as well.
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“India moved away from the duo since they needed spinners who take wickets in the middle overs. Suddenly, you leave that trajectory and move in a different direction. The purpose of the change is then defeated. You need wickets in the middle overs. Australia were ordinary with the bat, but we need more wickets in the middle overs,” he explained.
However, he also opined on the Team India batter Shreyas Iyer. He is concerned about his form with just two matches left before the World Cup as well. Notably, following his recovery from a back injury, Shreyas returned to international cricket during the Asia Cup. However, he suffered back spasms during the tournament and missed the Super 4 round matches and the final as well. Meanwhile, he played in the first one-dayer in Mohali on Friday, September 22 but was run out for 3 off 8 balls following a mix-up with Shubman Gill as well.
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He again shared, “Shreyas Iyer got run out, so we don’t really know about his form. There are only two matches left now and if India are unable to find out about his form, they will be trouble. There are questions to ponder in the middle order. [KL] Rahul is playing well, but what about Shreyas and Ishan Kishan? One of them will play in the middle order.”
“Everyone in the team management showed faith in him because he is a good player. And Suryakumar Yadav batted quite well. He finds gaps and puts pressure on the bowlers. A lot of times, he plays scoops, but this time he played strokes down the ground. He needs to do this regularly in ODIs and, if he does that, his ability to score runs in ODIs will increase manifold. Suryakumar batting at five instead of Kishan or Shreyas is also a possibility. That is of course if Suryakumar finds the ODI template. He has made a start,” he concluded.
