-Subhayan Chakraborty in Adelaide
Will it be Ravichandran Ashwin or Washington Sundar as India’s lone spinner in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 6? Who will be India’s third pacer? Will it be Harshit Rana, who had a brilliant Test debut in Perth, or will Akash Deep get the nod? Besides the opening spots, which seem to have been taken by KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the sole spinner and third pacer will be the two major headaches for the Indian team management as they gear up to take on the Aussies in a bid to go 2-0 up in the five-Test series.
After completing a gruelling net session on Wednesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir pulled Ashwin aside for a lengthy chat lasting more than 20 minutes. Ashwin, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy and a few support staff, arrived at the Adelaide Oval at least an hour before the scheduled practice time. Both he and Reddy hit the nets straightaway, taking throwdowns to fine-tune their game. The duo batted for around 40 minutes, but the focus kept shifting towards Ashwin as he continuously conversed with the throwdown specialists, even asking one of them to bowl with a wider angle. Leaving the ball, defending right underneath the eyes, playing late, and driving the ball when the opportunity arose were some of the key takeaways from his session.
After bowling to some of the main batters at the nets, Ashwin had another stint with the bat, hinting that he could very well be in the fray to make it to India’s playing XI in Adelaide. Ashwin has a decent record at the Adelaide Oval, having picked up 16 wickets in six innings at an average of 30. Meanwhile, he has kept things tight from one end, conceding runs at an economy of 2.64.
With Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough stating that the pitch will have assistance for spinners, Ashwin could emerge as a trump card with the ball. Though Washington Sundar has done nothing wrong to be dropped, the Gambhir-led team management could well opt for horses for courses.
“We are happy about where we are today; the compaction and the moisture are where we want them to be,” Hough told reporters on Wednesday. “You do adapt every year, get some finer details in. It is coarse matted grass, even grass cover, good with regard to moisture, but dry and hard, so something where the quicks will get a bit out of it, spinners will be able to get some light turn and bounce, but also important for us to get some partnerships with the players and the batters to be able to play their shots.”
With all the talk about pace, Hough was quick to point out the venue’s soft corner for spin: “Be assured, at the Adelaide Oval, traditionally spin plays a role, and we don’t see that changing.”
Nathan Lyon, Australia’s frontline spinner over the past decade, also seemed excited about the prospect of bowling in Adelaide, where he was once part of the ground staff. “It is one of those world-class surfaces, and it is good for the spinners too,” said Lyon. When probed about the ball, he quipped: “Mate, be it a red ball, white ball, or pink ball, it’s all the same.”
Lyon has an exceptional record at the Adelaide Oval, picking up 63 wickets, the most at the venue, in 25 innings at an average of 25.26. Given that, it’ll be interesting to see whether Ashwin gets a look in for the playing XI. The chances appear to be high.
Harshit Rana vs Akash Deep
Another interesting debate in the lead-up to the second Test will be about the third pacer. Rana and Akash are in the running for that spot. While Rana didn’t bowl at the nets on Wednesday, Akash has been garnering praises from Indian batters at the nets. Be it Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, or Shubman Gill, everyone has praised Akash at one point or another for winning the battle at the nets. “Andar dala tha ya bahar [Did you bring it in or take it out]?” asked Kohli after one delivery that came in with the angle before seaming away, leaving him in disarray. When Akash said he wanted to execute just that, Kohli replied, “Bohot badhiya [Very good].”
Akash has been troubling the Indian batters with the pink ball. He has been seaming the ball both ways while working closely with Morne Morkel on wrist position and release points. Though Rana had a cracking Test debut in Perth, picking up four wickets, before securing a four-for against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra with the pink ball, it would be interesting to see whether Akash gets the final nod in the playing XI.
Rohit a Bit Scratchy at Nets
In other developments, other Indian players, including Kohli, Rohit, Gill and Rahul, among others, spent around an hour each at the nets as they continued with their high-intensity practice in the build-up to the day-night Test.
Though the Indian skipper, who was facing the new ball, looked a bit shaky initially, getting beaten by pacers and moving deliveries, he made certain adjustments to get better as the session progressed. There were multiple occasions on Wednesday when Rohit was beaten all ends up, with a few bowlers even cleaning him up. However, he went back to the template of leaving as many balls as possible and negating the deliveries onto his body with soft hands.
However, it wasn’t the best of days for Rohit, who is expected to bat in the middle order. Kohli and Rahul were the pick of the batters from the India nets, with both of them timing the ball sweetly for the majority of the time. Kohli was at his intense best but kept having fun and friendly banter with the bowlers. The back-and-across trigger movement is back for Kohli as he looks to pile more misery on the Aussies, possibly with another century after the one in Perth.
Also Read: Pink Balls, 4-hour nets, and scores of fans: Team India’s nets in Adelaide decoded