Ravichandran Ashwin is likely to play in place of Ravindra Jadeja in the first test match. The first match of the Border Trophy between India and Austrailia is set to be played in Perth on 22 November. Both teams are working to field their best possible playing XI for this first test match.
Australia team captain Pat Cummins stated in an interview that he will play with four fast bowlers in this match. On the other hand, Indian team coach Gautam Gambhir revealed in an interview with Sports Express that Team India will play with 6 batsmen. Gautam Gambhir also mentioned that Ravichandran Ashwin might be included in the team in place of Ravindra Jadeja in this match.
India to Rely on Ashwin Against Left-Handed Aussies
The reason behind this decision is the high number of left-handed batsmen in the Australian lineup. Ravichandran Ashwin can prove to be lethal in place of Ravindra Jadeja. However, Ravichandran Ashwin’s record against Australia has not been anything special. He has played 10 matches against Australia in which he took only 39 wickets at an average of 42. Another reason for including Ravichandran Ashwin in the team is his batting. He batted well in the last Test series in Australia.
The Indian team is facing challenges with injuries ahead of the Test series. Due to this the team is definitely facing difficulties in preparing a better strategy. Shubman Gill was ruled out of the Perth Test due to a thumb injury. Although there is news of Lokesh Rahul recovering from injury.
Also, read about Sarfraz Khan’s place in Playing11 here
