Experienced offspinner R. Ashwin has been named in India’s squads for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia at home, after being left out of India’s initial 15-member squad for the 50-over World Cup. Ashwin, 37, last played an ODI for India in January last year, and is the second frontline offspinner to have been picked for all three matches of the bilateral series, starting September 22, alongside Washinton Sundar, who, too, didn’t make the cut for the squad for the world event, which begins on October 5 and will be held in India.
Two squads, two captains, two specialist offspinners
India picked two squads for their three-match series against Australia, India’s last preparatory assignment before the World Cup, in part with a view to testing their bench strength: K.L. Rahul has been named captain in the 15-member playing group selected for the first two matches, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and the injured Axar Patel rested.
Tilak Varma, who was part of India’s title-winning Asia Cup squad, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of the India men's team for the upcoming Asian Games T20 competition in Hangzhou, also figure in the mix for the first two matches.
India’s designated all-formats skipper Rohit will take back the captaincy reins for the series-ender, for which the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee named a 17-member squad, the playing personnel resembling the World Cup unit of 15, with the addition of Ashwin and Washington.
Axar, who was ruled out of Sunday’s Asia Cup final with a left quadriceps strain he suffered while playing during India’s defeat to Bangladesh in their last Asia Cup league game on Friday, was picked only for the third ODI. His availability for the match is subject to fitness, but Agarkar expects that the 29-year-old “should be okay” in time for the game as well as the World Cup.
“A few of the guys have, obviously, been given a breather for the first couple of games,” Agarkar said during a virtual media conference on Monday evening. “(With regards to) roles… Axar, unfortunately, picked up an injury in that game, and we are hopeful that he will be fit, but that's why the two (Ashwin and Washington).
“Washington Sundar was already part of the squad for the (Asia Cup) finals and Ashwin brings in experience, so it just gives us options just in case there is a need at some stage for us to look at those guys. Ruturaj Gaikwad, of course, comes in as an opener; he was taking a break. Apart from that (the picks) are pretty straightforward.”
Rohit backs Ashwin’s experience despite absence from ODIs
Ashwin has been out of the ODI mix for over 18 months now. His last 50-over appearance in international cricket came against South Africa in Paarl, where he returned figures of 10-1-68-0 and struck an unbeaten 24-25 at No. 8 in India’s seven-wicket loss. Boasting 113 caps in the format, he has a career average of 33.49 with the ball, his economy reading 4.94 and strike rate 40.6.
Asked if Ashwin's lower game time in 50-over cricket recently warrants reflection on whether India could have given him a go in the format earlier in the year, instead of about a fortnight out from the start of the World Cup, Rohit said: "With guys like Ashwin, game-time and having time on the ground is not so much of a concern.
“Yes, which is why we thought if he is an option for us, we need to get him in. With the kind of experience he has, for guys like him, it's all in the head more than the body... we made that decision of getting him in (after) speaking to him, understanding where he is at with his body, and stuff like that.
“Yes, he’s not played the format, but he’s been playing cricket… Games here against Australia will give us a chance to look at where he is at, how he is bowling, how his body is doing.”
For their World Cup squad, India’s choice for fingerspin saw them opt for left-arm spin-bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar. Barring Kuldeep, India didn’t pick any specialist spinners in their XV.
But with Axar injured during the Asia Cup, he was replaced by Washington in the squad for the continental competition’s title clash. Washington went on the feature in the XI in the final against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Chasing a paltry 51, India won the match by 10 wickets en route to lifting the title, but Sundar’s services, with ball or ball, weren’t called for.
Both Washington and Ashwin now stand a chance to audition for a potential spot in the final squad for the World Cup, with Kuldeep, the Player of the Series at the Asia Cup, away from the mix for the first two games. The cut-off date for teams to make changes to their World Cup squad without needing an ICC clearance is September 28.
India’s bench strength, “mental break” in focus for Australia series
Agarkar explained India’s decision to leave out their core World Cup combination of senior players from the first two ODIs was more down to giving the cricketers a “mental break” than easing the physical demands of the bilateral series.
“Rohit and Virat have been around forever,” he said. “Obviously, Hardik is an important player for us; we want to manage him. Kuldeep is in great form. It also gives us a chance to look at some of the other guys; that's the thing. Luckily, we got what was a fair amount of cricket in the Asia Cup; if we did not, we might have looked it at some other way.
“At some stage or the other, more than physical, sometimes the guys need a mental break, which is not such a bad thing leading up to the tournament. But come the third game, everyone will be available to play ... So, it does give us a chance to play some of the guys who are sitting outside and it's still a strong squad.”
Rohit, 36, seconded Agarkar and underlined India’s focus on firming their bench strength.
“The World Cup is a tournament of 11 matches (the semi-final and final included). It’s a long competition and we will be crisscrossing India,” he said. “With that volume of travel and matches, we want to make sure that the players we have on the bench have some game time under their belt and they have enough confidence to carry into the XI, when summoned. From a planning perspective, we need to ensure that that is done as a bare essential.”
India's squad for the first two ODIs against Australia:
KL Rahul (captain, wk), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Tilak Verma, Prasidh Krishna, R Ashwin, Washinton Sundar
India's squad for the third ODI against Australia:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, R Ashwin, Washinton Sundar
India's World Cup squad:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
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