'India Can Rest R Ashwin And Ravindra Jadeja And Still Win The Series'

Australia would’ve expected the trial by spin during the India tour and their preparations were geared towards facing the stiff challenge. A camp in Sydney followed by practice sessions in Bengaluru on pitches tailored to mimic the conditions they were dreading to encounter during the four-match series.

It took India less than three days to complete a resounding victory in the series opener, played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. No surprises, it were the spinners who played a prominent role in deciding the outcome.

Also Read: Australia Trampled by Not the Demons in the Pitch, But by the Beasts Who Played on it – India

However, it wasn’t a rank turner by any stretch. In fact, on a pitch where Australia batters struggled to settle in, India scored 400 runs in their first and only innings of the contest. Rohit Sharma scored a century while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja struck fifty apiece.

In a stark contrast, the 49 from Marnus Labuschagne was Australia’s highest individual score across both their innings.

Also Read: Todd Murphy Latest in Line of Understudies Who Got Better of The Indian Batters in India

Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh claims that India have a powerful spin attack at their disposal and they can even afford to rest Aswhin and Jadeja for the series and still come out on top.

“India can rest both Ashwin and Jadeja and still win the series with the spin attack of Axar, Sundar and Kuldeep. That’s how powerful India’s spin attack. Poor Aussies don’t stand a chance,” Ganesh tweeted after India won by an innings and 132 runs on Saturday afternoon.

Jadeja picked up a five-wicket haul in Australia’s first innings while Ashwin followed suit in the second dig to hasten their batting collapse. Together, the duo shared 15 wickets between them while the remainder was shared between Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj.

The two teams will lock horns in the second Test starting February 17 in Delhi.

Get the latest Cricket News here