The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is just round the corner and it will be starting from November 22. For a long time, cricketing conditions have been favoring spinners, and India has all the three world-class spinners as they can be quite unsettling for the Australian batting order. Each one of these spinners is unique and an asset in the Indian quest for victory.
The Spin King: Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has been India’s leading bowler for more than a decade, his ability to sharply turn the ball plus his tactical acumen makes him a very effective in every condition, he is likely to extract the maximum turn and bounce in Australia.
A very sharp reader of the game and one who capitalizes on the batters weaknesses is Ashwin. He has been India’s match-winner in a series of Tests more often than not, while some of the crux moments of Border-Gavaskar Trophy are owed to him. In the 2017 edition, Ashwin was India’s top wicket-taker with 21 wickets. It was his ability to bowl long, pressure-building spells that registered wins for India in the series.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Ashwin has played 22 matches in which he has bagged 114 wickets with an incredible economy of 2.70.
India’s Ace All-Rounder: Ravindra Jadeja
India’s prized left-arm orthodox spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, presents all-round prowess that proves to be valuable during the Test match. Highly accurate, Jadeja does not let his batting make much of a difference since this lad is very tough for batters to score against and by controlling the game during his tight spells, Jadeja turns out to be indispensable in India’s bowling squad.
What is fantastic about Jadeja is his record in Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He played an integral role for India in gaining a win over Australia in the 2020-21 series, proving crucial with bat and ball as well. One of his huge positives for India is that he can bowl long spells and not leak too many runs. And in the coming series, he will surely look to exploit Australia’s weakness against quality left-arm spinners.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Jadeja has played 16 matches out of which he has picked 85 wickets with a fantastic economy of 2.30.
Lethal Off-Spinner: Washington Sundar
While Sundar may not have the depth of experience in his bank account compared to Ashwin or Jadeja, his performances in limited-overs and Test formats have well shown up that he is more than a promising talent. Off-circle bowling with control together with natural adaptability makes him a vitally important asset for India’s spin arsenal, particularly under home conditions in which the ball does most turning.
Washington Sundar finally made an impact in the 2020-21 series against Australia, carrying crucial wickets into this series and playing important knocks in the middle order. His maturity considering the age factor and his composure under pressure in such a dramatic series was a testimony in itself. Over the middle phases of an innings, he has been a safe bet due to his control over the ball, as also his ability to bowl tight overs. He will play a major role in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Washington Sundar has played just one match and bagged 4 wickets with an economy of 3.44.
The India mix of spinners Ashwin, Jadeja, and Sundar can only be described as a powerhouse in world cricket at the moment. They provide much balance to the Indian side and have the capability to turn the tables on their opponents with skill and variety. These spinners would play an important role for India to make the most of overseas conditions and ensure constant pressure on Australia throughout the series.
India’s Squad For Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
