THE ASHWIN DECISION

Picked Jadeja over Ashwin for control on flatter decks: Shastri

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

Shastri admitted the decision to leave out either Ashwin or Kuldeep Yadav has always been difficult © Getty

Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja? That's a question that has so far defined the quandaries of the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri regime, especially when India are playing away from home. The choice was again in front of them before the start of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua. And they picked Jadeja there and then again in Jamaica, even as the brouhaha around Ashwin's omission continued to gain momentum.

"The reason why we picked Jadeja in the first Test, was in case we fielded, and the track was damp, with his pace, he would have made life a little awkward for the batsmen. He could have been used on the first session of play on day one," India coach Ravi Shastri told the host broadcaster SPN Sports before the start of second day's play in Jamaica.

Ashwin's performance in last year's Southampton Test against England does make his case weaker. Discounting the fact that Ashwin wasn't at his 100 percent fitness wise, he was outbowled by Moeen Ali, who picked nine wickets in the game to take England to a series win. Ashwin, on the other hand, had to make do with only three wickets.

He was given a chance over Jadeja again at Adelaide but his fitness, or the lack of it, meant that Jadeja was back in contention on the drier tracks at Melbourne and Sydney as Ashwin continued to recover from his side strain. Kuldeep Yadav's five-wicket haul in Sydney made things a bit more complicated, with Shastri then going on record to say that Kuldeep will be their first-choice spinner overseas.

But come 2019 and come West Indies, Jadeja seems to have edged both Ashwin and Kuldeep.

"It is a difficult decision to leave out Ashwin or Kuldeep (Yadav)," Shastri explained. "Look at 'Jaddu', his record is fabulous. You have to see what he brings to the table. He is probably best fielder in the world now and he has improved his batting like hell. And if you see these tracks (in West Indies)... from what I have seen of this track (in Jamaica), I don't think there would be much on offer for the spinners where you would need control."

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