Tanush Kotian was included in Indian squad as replacement for retired R Ashwin.
India captain Rohit Sharma has explained why Tanush Kotian was picked as retired R Ashwin’s replacement in the Indian squad for the BGT 2024 Test series against Australia. There were other options like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, but Kotian was chosen over them.
Ravichandran Ashwin departed last week at the end of the third Test, leaving India short of spinners.
Kotian, a right-arm off-spinner, was the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy Player of the Series after hitting 502 runs and taking 29 wickets in ten games during a winning season. The 26-year-old bowls at a faster tempo than the average off-spinner, utilizing his height, bounce, and set-ups to take wickets while still being a capable batter.
“Tanush was here a month back. Kuldeep, I don’t think he has a visa, we wanted somebody to get here as quickly as possible. Tanush was the one who was ready and he played here. Not that… it was just a joke… not that Tanush is not good enough.
He has shown in the last two years what he has done in domestic cricket and we really wanted just a backup. In case, we need two spinners playing here or in Sydney, you need a backup option,” Rohit Sharma told reporters during a press conference.
Rohit Sharma further clarified that Kuldeep Yadav's recent hernia operation, as well as the birth of Axar Patel's child, allowed Mumbai spin all-rounder Tanush Kotian to be named to the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test squad.
“Kuldeep is obviously not 100% fit. He recently went through a hernia surgery and the other options, like Axar, he recently had a baby so he’s not going to travel. So, Tanush was the right option for us at this point and he has certainly shown at the domestic level what he’s capable of.
He’s one of the reasons why Mumbai has gone on to win the Ranji Trophy last year. He played a major role as an all-rounder. A very good option for us, in case we need him, just so that all areas are covered,” Rohit added.
MCG will host the fourth Test between India and Australia on the ongoing BGT 2024 Test series from December 26. The final Test will be played in Sydney on January 3 onwards.
(ANI inputs)