Former England captain and commentator Nasser Hussain has on Wednesday (September 1) backed the “world no. 2 spinner” Ravichandran Ashwin to play for India in the fourth Test against England starting on September 2 (Thursday) at The Oval.
He also felt Ashwin should have played in the third Test at Headingley, where Team India suffered a massive defeat of an innings and 76 runs as England leveled the ongoing five-match Test series 1-1.
Ahead of the fourth Test from Thursday, Hussain suggested the Indian team include Ashwin in the playing XI alongside Ravindra Jadeja in place of Ishant Sharma, as the conditions at The Oval are likely to support the spinners.
Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail, “What India do have is an off-spin bowler ranked No. 2 in the world and a batsman good enough to have made five Test centuries in R Ashwin. He should have played at Headingley against England's five left-handers and he must play at The Oval.”
Notably, Ashwin is currently the highest Test wicket-taker in the Indian cricket team with 413 scalps in 79 Tests, as well as, the fourth-highest wicket-taker for India in the format. The off-spinner has also five Test centuries to his name with the last came against England in Chennai earlier this year.
Hussain signed off by saying, “So, the most likely solution is that Ashwin will come in for a seamer, most likely Ishant Sharma who struggled at Headingley, and join Ravindra Jadeja in a more balanced looking side with a deeper batting line-up as long as Jadeja recovers from his knee injury.”
(With PTI Inputs)
