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With the surface at the Optus Stadium predicted to be quick and bouncy, India has entered the game with a bowling combination of four pacers and only one spinner. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana, two rookies who have made an impression in the IPL and, in Reddy's case, in the Indian colours this season, have been named among the quicks. Washington Sundar, the only spinner for India, is fresh off a strong personal run of two home Test matches. He played against New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai, taking a total of 16 wickets. He was added to the line-up over veterans like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
As a result of this decision, India will enter the first Test match without R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, their two longtime first-choice spinners. Since circumstances outside the subcontinent are typically more pace-friendly, only one player—typically Jadeja—plays in home Test matches, despite Ashwin and Jadeja being India's favored pairing for the No. 7 and No. 8 spots.
India has hardly ever needed or had like-for-like alternatives to these two. This is a rare occasion in which they do in Sundar, and his recent excellent form – the aforementioned New Zealand series, as well as a knock of 152 from No.3 in the Ranji Trophy – makes his case for inclusion in the XI.
Why Sundar was picked over Ashwin and Jadeja?
Sundar has demonstrated thus far that he could be a better pick over Ashwin in the batting area, and his height may make him more successful than Jadeja on a track that is predicted to bounce. In a unique move, Sundar also combines two of their strengths: Ashwin's off-spin in bowling and Jadeja's left-handedness in batting.
However, his lack of experience is the only thing working against him. While Sundar is still in the early stages of his Test career, having only been called up over four years after making his debut (during India's final tour of Australia), Ashwin and Jadeja have long been the best spin bowling all-rounders of their time.
India will enter a Test match without Ashwin or Jadeja for the first time since Brisbane in January 2021 in the Perth Test. That time, however, they were both hurt. Additionally, India has only included neither player in a playing XI five times since their debuts. These have all arrived from overseas, including two in Perth and four in Australia (as of right now).
