Both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin played a key role in the Indian team’s recent victory against Australia in a Test match. India defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, marking their third straight series victory over Australia. The spinner duo completely destroyed Australia.
The circumstances for the second meeting between the two teams in the WTC Final are entirely different. In general, pacers benefit from the English deck, therefore it appears India will field a pace-heavy lineup with at least three pacers. There have been suggestions for a fourth pacer, but it will be up to Rohit Sharma to decide whether to use him or pair the spinners.
The Indian team has three spinners in its lineup. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel have all gone to England, and it is expected that just two of them will play in the final.
Advertisement
One of the two spinners will be Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner has been outstanding for India in Tests and appears to be a lock for the selection. With a few left-handers in Australia’s lineup, Rohit Sharma may be tempted to start Ashwin.
But, if India opts for a second spinner, who should he partner with – Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel?
Axar Patel has performed admirably for India in Test matches. The left-arm all-rounder also contributes batting versatility and scored some key runs in the most recent BGT. However, Jadeja and Ashwin’s dominance in the series meant Patel could only bowl a few overs and took only three wickets.
In England, Ravindra Jadeja has respectable statistics. Jadeja has taken 23 wickets in just 11 Test matches in England, and his batting record has been particularly impressive recently. He was named BGT Player of the Series and has performed admirably for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023.
Another disadvantage for Axar is that he has yet to play outside of the subcontinent. Ten of his twelve Tests have been played in India, with the other two in Bangladesh. With both Ashwin and Jadeja having prior experience in England, it appears that India would go with the veteran combination for the WTC Final if they select for two spinners.
Advertisement
Can India manage with just one spinner?
That is still another option. Given the weather and the pitch, the Indian thought tank may opt for a lone spinner, and Ashwin may get the nod because to his lethal record against Australia.
Jadeja and Ashwin each played four Tests in 2023, taking 22 and 25 wickets, respectively. In the Border Gavaskar Trophy, all four Test matches were against Australia.
Indian Spinners Test Performance in 2023
| Name | Matches | Wickets |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 4 | 25 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 4 | 22 |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 3 |
All of their Test outings in 2023 have been against Australia. Patel had the most runs batted in the series, with 264 runs at an average of 88 and three fifties.
Advertisement