Ravichandran Ashwin of India prepares to bat throughout India coaching prior to the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023 at The Oval on June 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Australian greats Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting have slammed India’s decision to drop premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for the World Test Championship last in opposition to Australia.
Ashwin, who’s the No. 1 bowler in Test cricket and India’s main wicket-taker within the 2021-23 WTC cycle, was dropped because the Rohit Sharma-led facet bolstered the tempo ammunition by taking part in 4 seamers.
“I feel that Ravichandran Ashwin is such a key factor, the leading wicket taker in the Tests cycle is not there. There are a few factors worth pondering on in Team India’s perspective,” Hayden informed ICC after the day one’s proceedings.
In the absence of Ashwin, left-armer Ravindra Jadeja is the only spinner within the taking part in XI and he went wicketless as India struggled to break the 251-run partnership between Travis Head (146 batting) and Steve Smith (95 batting).
With Head’s blistering century, his first in England, mixed with Smith’s resolute present Australia took the day one honours with 327/3 on the board.
World Cup-winning captain Ponting termed Ashwin’s exclusion a “mistake”.
“So far for me, it looks like it was a mistake from them by playing the four seamers, but we will see how the game pans out,” Ponting informed the ICC.
“As this game goes on, I have got no doubt that there is going to be turn. Australia have got a lot of left-handers in their batting line-up to which Ashwin would have been perfectly suited for,” he mentioned, as Ashwin is probably the most profitable bowler in Tests in opposition to left-handers.
There was additionally debate over Rohit’s “bowl-first” decision after successful the toss and Hayden mentioned the Indian skipper might have “missed a trick”.
“I feel they may have missed a trick at the toss. Even if Pat Cummins said he would have liked to bowled, I secretly think Australia always like to bat first in Tests.
“I really feel like Rohit Sharma was caught into pondering that we’re going to play the day relatively than taking part in the Test match.”
Head — ‘modern day Gilchrist’
The day one belonged to the aggressive Head whose 146 came from just 156 deliveries as he counter-attacked the Indian attack as the wicket eased out.
Travis Head of Australia walks of the sphere after play ends on day one of many ICC World Test Championship Final between Australia and India at The Oval on June 07, 2023
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Hayden and Ponting in contrast Head as to the teammate and legendary wicketkeeper batter Adam Gilchrist after he swung the momentum in Australia’s favour within the ‘Ultimate Test’.
“It was a classical Travis Head attacking style. One of the things in this Championship cycle is that Head not only scored over 1000 runs but he did at a strike rate of 80-plus,” Hayden mentioned
“That’s really hard to do when you are playing a tournament of such pressure, and also you are under enormous pressure because of the atmospheric conditions. But he finds a way to get this terrific strike rate.
“He is sort of like Adam Gilchrist was in his day, one way or the other in a position to put a lot strain on opposition just because they have no idea the place to bowl,” Hayden added.
Gilchrist had a strike-rate of 81.95 during his illustrious Test career and Head is walking down a similar path having scored at a similar clip during Australia’s World Test Championship campaign.
“He in all probability is (comparable to Gilchrist). In reality he’s in all probability scoring faster now than Gilly in all probability ever did,” Ponting said.
“His strike-rate by this (World Test Championship) qualification interval is 81, which is greater than anybody else on the earth to have scored greater than 500 runs.”
Shami and Co erred in their length
Ponting further said India’s pacers erred with their length early against Head.
“I feel when he first is available in you want to execute completely to him. It isn’t any good attempting to over assault him as a result of should you bowl any dangerous ball, he’s going to put it away,” Ponting noted.
“They will study by the way in which they bowled to him on this first innings, and they’re going to positively alter on this second innings, however typically it’s too late.”
