Australia showcased complete dominance in the opening two days of the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval. The Indian bowling attack managed to wrap up the Australian innings within the first hour after lunch, conceding a total of 469 runs. In response, India’s promising start was cut short by the Australian pacers, resulting in early dismissals for Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara.
However, a resilient partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane allowed India to reach 151-5 by the close of play, although Australia remained firmly in control. Nevertheless, Jadeja and Rahane’s 73-run stand revived India’s hopes. Just as the partnership began to pose a threat to Australia, Nathan Lyon bowled a stunning delivery, removing “India’s best batter.”
During Star Sports’ on-air commentary, Sourav Ganguly took a sharp jab at India’s captain, Rohit, and head coach, Rahul Dravid, following Lyon’s dismissal of Jadeja. Ganguly referred to the team’s decision to exclude Ravichandran Ashwin, despite his status as the top-ranked bowler in the ICC Test rankings.
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“Who says an off-spinner can’t perform on a green pitch? We have a left-handed batter [Ravindra Jadeja] and Nathan Lyon. Lyon has more than 400 Test wickets. He dismissed India’s best batter with a delivery that had both turn and bounce,” Sourav Ganguly remarked.
This wasn’t the only instance during the match where Ganguly expressed his disappointment over Ashwin’s omission. Like many other experts at The Oval, the former India skipper believed that India made an error in playing four seamers and leaving out a match-winner like Ashwin.
“India missed an opportunity by not including a match-winner like R Ashwin. In hindsight, it seems he would have been a better choice, as Jadeja isn’t receiving enough support from the other end. While Jadeja is applying pressure from his end, there is no one to restrain the flow of runs from the other side,” Sourav Ganguly stated on Wednesday.
Ganguly also commended Lyon for delivering the crucial breakthrough that Australia needed.
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“Remember, he doesn’t just take wickets in the subcontinent; he also performs in Australia. His seam position was brilliant, and there was bounce. The ball even drifted slightly. It’s a misconception that the ball doesn’t grip on grassy pitches. In my opinion, he is an all-time great,” Sourav Ganguly concluded.
