Former England captain Alastair Cook credited India for leaving out veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the first Test of the fivematch series in Perth. Cook also clarified that Ashwin might have delivered regardless of the conditions but backed the team management for going for four fast bowlers in pace-friendly conditions as well. The veteran also applauded the tourists for taking the game on despite having 150 runs in the first innings as well.

Cook said on TNT Sports (via The Times of India): “Just think of how brave they were? They didn’t bother playing Ashwin who has got 500 Test wickets. They’ve kind of played a couple of like, not makes you spinners, but you know, I thought Ashwin would have been outstanding, but you know, great thinking by them.”

“I thought India was so brave. I thought that first, you know, they win the toss and bat on that wicket, you look there, even though there’s only 150 they got, the thought process to say, ‘we’re going to take Australia on there. We know it’s going to be hard, but we think it’s going to be hard for both sides only, and then it’ll be a one-innings game,” he further added.

Alastair Cook also stressed that Jasprit Bumrah made the right call by opting to bat first as well. He also praised him for his fighting display with the ball.

“I think most captains would have bowled first, certainly would have done and probably got the end of a bad result, like normally in Australia. But India took it on brilliantly. It was just an all-round fantastic performance. You think… bowled out for 150, you think we’re struggling here, but to bounce back when you’ve got Boomer (Jasprit Bumrah) up with the new ball on those kinds of wickets, he’s always going to be outstanding and backed up by the team,” Alastair Cook concluded.