Wed Nov 20 04:40:00 UTC 2024: **Ganguly Backs Ashwin for First Border-Gavaskar Test Despite Recent Performance**
Perth, Australia – Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has unequivocally declared Ravichandran Ashwin as India’s best spinner and advocated for his inclusion in the playing XI for the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia. His statement comes despite Ashwin’s relatively underwhelming performance in the recent series against New Zealand, where he took only 9 wickets compared to the combined 16 wickets taken by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Furthermore, Ashwin failed to take any wickets in the first and third Tests against New Zealand.
While the Perth pitch is expected to favor fast bowlers, making it challenging for spinners, Ganguly remains adamant. Speaking to Boria Majumdar on RevSportz, Ganguly stated there’s “no debate” – Ashwin should play. He emphasized the importance of playing specialist bowlers in Test cricket and highlighted Ashwin’s potential impact against the numerous left-handed batsmen in the Australian lineup.
The selection poses a dilemma for the Indian team management, who must choose between Ashwin, Jadeja, and Sundar. The latter two have shown strong all-around performances recently. However, Ganguly believes experience and specialist skill should take precedence, making Ashwin the optimal choice for the opening Test. He acknowledged Jadeja and Sundar’s batting capabilities but reiterated the need to field the best spinner available. The Indian squad for the Border-Gavaskar series includes all three players, adding to the selection conundrum.
First Piper 