L Sivaramakrishnan, Harbhajan want India to create second line of Test quality spinners

Focus is on domestic spinners who can possibly serve India in future when Ashwin, Jadeja hang their boots.

At some stage in future, India will approach life beyond Ashwin and Jadeja | GettyWhile Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been tremendous for India in Test match cricket, especially at home, the selectors and the team management should be wary of the fact that at some stage in future they'll be calling it quits. Hence, the focus shall be on developing a strong second line of Test quality finger spinners who can take that legacy forward, believes former India spinner L Sivaramakrishnan.

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"Ashwin is a very hard-working bowler and he has not taken his place for granted. He still has three good years left and it's time now that we find the next crop of young spinners which is ready to take over when the time comes," Sivaramakrishnan told PTI.

Domestic finger-spinners like Akshay Wakhare and Jalaj Saxena have been toiling through for years now but they are also approaching the wrong side of the thirties. However, veteran Harbhajan Singh reckons age is just a number. 

"Jalaj Saxena and Akshay Wakhare have performed year after year at the domestic level, at times on flat tracks. I have seen Akshay closely at the Mumbai Indians nets. Age for me is just a number. I don't believe these two can't be tried," the Turbanator said. 

The lure of IPL, T20 cricket and India's continuous search for Test match pacers by producing tracks that generally marginalise spin have had a direct impact on the quality of first-class spinners available in the country.

"I haven't seen a good off-spinner at the Ranji level. That's because of bad captaincy at the Ranji Trophy level. If an off-spinner gets hit by a right-hander, captains take him off and that hits his confidence. Harbhajan Singh became a great bowler because the captain was Sourav Ganguly, who gave him encouragement," said Sivaramakrishnan, who wasn't too optimistic of the idea of Wakhare or Saxena turning up at the highest level. 

"Jalaj's is a classic case of his career completely coinciding with Ashwin's best years. But right now we can't look at players who are 33 or 34 years. Because by the time another three years go by, the fitness levels might be an issue."

What about Krishnappa Gowtham from Karnataka? "He is good but I don't think he is good enough for Test cricket," said Siva in an honest assessment. "We need a new set of good spinners (all types) at the India A level, who should be ready in next three years. Rahul Chahar is very young but again, he is more of a white-ball bowler. Shahbaz Nadeem is 30 plus and Yuzvendra Chahal is in his late 20s."

(Inputs from PTI)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 18 Mar, 2020

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