Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara reckons India do not have replacements for Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. His comments came ahead of India’s pink-ball Test match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 6.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Pujara hailed the pair as legends of the game and acknowledged their immense contribution to Indian cricket.
Ashwin and Jadeja did not feature in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth, where the conditions were conducive to fast bowling.
Washington Sundar was the lone spinner in the playing XI as India look to transition from Ashwin and Jadeja. While the duo is still the first choice for all home Tests, India have started experimenting with other combinations overseas.
"You can't have the quality of Ashwin and Jadeja. I have seen a lot of spinners in the Indian domestic circuit, but I wouldn't say that we have actual replacements for them. Yes, we do have some young talented bowlers whom we need to groom, but those are the legends of the game. I don't think we will ever get someone as good as Ashwin or Jadeja. We might have some replacements, but I still feel those guys have contributed a lot to Indian cricket," Pujara said.
"After the WTC final, we will be travelling to England. That will be an important series. We are going to play five Test matches over there. Do you seen Ashwin and Jadeja fit into that role? Do you want one of them to be part of the playing XI? But, if Washington Sundar is going to play in the XI, then you might as well have someone else be part of the squad," he added.
Ashwin and Jadeja are likely to warm the bench in the second Test as well. However, it is not concerning for assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who said India are lucky to have senior players who think about the team before their personal goals.
“It is only tough when you have seniors who do not understand it. When you have seniors like Jaddu and Ashwin, who understand what the team is trying to do, I think it becomes very easy. The team follows what Gauti bhai believes in. We were very happy with how Ashwin and Jaddu were helping the younger guys do well here. I just felt that the culture of the team was focused on team India to win,” Abhishek Nayar said in Canberra on November 29.
India’s decision to leave out Ashwin and Jadeja surprised a lot of experts and former player, but it turned out to be the right call for the team. India thrashed Australia by 295 runs in Perth to take a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.
