Ravichandran Ashwin is not playing the First Test against Australia at Perth. The First match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy is underway with India’s stalwart spinner Ravichandran Ashwin not added to the squad. Team India’s stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and decided to bat first. Find out why Ravichandran Ashwin is missing from today’s Test match against Australia.
“We are going to bat first, looks like a good wicket. Very confident with our preparation. We played a Test match here in 2018 so we know what to expect. The wicket gets quicker.”, Bumrah said at the time of the toss.
However, when the Teams were announced, Bumrah revealed that Ashwin is not in the Playing XI for the First Test. “Nitish makes his debut. We have 4 quicks and Washi is the lone spinner.”, Bumrah added.
Why is Ravichandran Ashwin Not Playing Today Against Australia?
While India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah did not reveal the reason for dropping Ashwin, it is being learnt that it is a strategic move. The Indian team has prioritised playing more fast bowlers and just one spinner. Washington Sundar has been added to the squad instead of Ashwin.
The addition of Washington Sundar also means that the Indian team is looking for more options who can bat. Sundar recently participated in the Test Series against New Zealand and showed resilience in his batting. He also scored a century in the Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu before that. Moreover, Sundar also impressed with his bowling, picking up 16 wickets across 4 innings.
Sundar is likely to generate more spin and bounce from the Perth track. Hence, he has been preferred over Ashwin. Furthermore, Ashwin’s spin partner Ravindra Jadeja has also missed out.
Rohit, Gill Miss Out, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy Debut
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and Prince of Cricket Shubman Gill have also missed out in this Test. Rohit Sharma was recently blessed with a baby boy. He requested time off and was given by the BCCI. He will join the Indian team ahead of the Second Test.
On the other hand, Shubman Gill suffered a finger injury, ruling him out of this Test. The Indian team has added Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal to the squad for this game. Furthermore, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been handed their debuts.
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