Indian team played four pacers and a lone spinner in Ravindra Jadeja in the first Test against England that started on Wednesday, 4 August in Trent Bridge. There were mixed reactions regarding the team combination as a few cricket pundits felt leaving out R Ashwin was a poor decision.
Ashwin picked up six wickets in the county game for Surrey which included a six-wicket haul in the second innings. He is also the most experienced Indian spinner with over 400 Test wickets.
Indian spinner Harbhjan Singh, however, felt that playing Jadeja was a good decision. He said that with Ashwin playing, India would have a long tail.
"I guess if you would have played Ashwin, the tail would have been very long. You didn't know how much spin in fact will be used. Jaddu (Jadeja) has bowled three out of 50 overs till tea. So overs that you will use spin, Jaddu can bowl those overs. And why do we jump to conclusion that Jaddu can't be used as a lone spinner," Harbhajan Singh told PTI.
Harbhajan said that Jadeja is a better batsman in the overseas conditions and adds solidity to the lower middle order.
"And if you look at overseas performances, Jaddu has been a better batsman and has a solid presence in the lower order," Harbhajan said.
The veteran Indian spinner pointed that Jadeja is not a bad bowler either The left-arm spinner has taken over 250 Test wickets in 52 Test matches.
"And is it so that Jaddu hasn't taken wickets? It's the first Test of the series, you want to win but at the same time, you would like to also have your defence prepared. You don't want to concede advantage on batting front and I feel it's fine if the team management thinks that way.
"Ideally, if you think that Ashwin is your front-line spinner then he should have played. But if the team management feels that Ashwin's presence makes the lower middle order a bit light, then perhaps they should be allowed to explore that angle too," he added.
Harbhajan Singh, who has played over a hundred Test matches for India said that there was nothing to differentiate between the two spinners in overseas conditions.
"If you look at overseas records, there isn't much to choose between Ash and Jaddu. Yes, you would feel hard done by if you have just picked six wickets for Surrey. But the considerations of Test cricket are different. Obviously, with six wickets in last first-class game, he was bound to be confident. But you also don't want a situation, where you are 75 for 5 and Ashwin is walking into bat,” he said.
When asked about Ashwin’s hundred at Chennai earlier this year, Harbhajan said that it was a different things as teams struggle to score even 100 runs with the lower order in England.
"Chennai hundred was a different innings on a different track. Here the lower order players may struggle totalling 100 runs across five innings. So Chennai hundred can't be an indicator of playing him as an all-rounder at Trent Bridge,” he added.
He also said that with work load is shared evenly with four fast bowlers and the spinners just needed to build the pressure.
"This surface in any case will not offer great turn. So if turn is not on offer, then play a guy, who can bat better and make the tail look a bit longer," Harbhajan signed off.
(PTI inputs)
