It goes without saying that Ashwin and Jadeja were the backbone of India’s ruthlessness in their own backyard
It’s all about perceptions, isn’t it? Those perceptions get wings when India lose. And then there’s an inundation of perceptions when it’s a 3-0 clean sweep at home.
So many opinions and sentiments have been floating around with little logic. Someone wants a kick in the backside of players, while a few demand a complete revamp. There’s been little logical dissection of what exactly ailed India.
But we know what did. Performances of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, especially with the ball. It goes without saying that these two were the backbone of India’s ruthlessness in their own backyard.
When India suffered a collapse at the top and bottom, they rescued the team with the bat as if they were specialist batters. And when the team needed wickets, the captain didn’t need to do much beyond bringing them into the attack. They played as four players and were consistent for more than a decade.
And just when they didn’t step up, those existing flaws in the team intensified. Ashwin’s bowling average of 41.22 in the New Zealand series was his second-worst in a home rubber. The worst (52.64) against England in 2012 was the last time India lost a home series before New Zealand’s unthinkable win.
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Ravindra Jadeja had picked only 6 wickets at 37.50 runs apiece in the first two Tests before turning it around in the final game. Their batting returns also shrunk. Jadeja’s batting average of 17.50 was his worst in a home series where he batted in multiple innings, while Ashwin registered his third-worst average (8.50) in a home series.
There are multiple reasons behind their below-par returns for the first-ever time in a home Test leg. But the biggest one was that they were underprepared. When Devon Conway employed sweep shots to tackle Ashwin, he didn’t bounce back in Bengaluru, and Jadeja didn’t slow his pace down when Mitchell Santner ran through India’s lineup with a lower speed in Pune.
It’s not like Ashwin has never had worthy opponents at home or Jadeja doesn’t know the pace to operate at. But they missed suitable match practice to get into the groove against quality batters. Sure, India played against Bangladesh, but their batters didn’t really put on a fight, barring a few flashes of brilliance.
They were mostly vulnerable, and the spin duo hardly had to break a sweat to send them back. Further, Indian pacers also eased their job removing big wickets at times. That’s not a discredit to Ashwin and Jadeja and not their fault that they came against a flawed opponent.
But this is where Ashwin and Jadeja could have played against quality players in the Duleep Trophy. That tournament had all the best domestic performers, and the best thing about the finest players of domestic cricket is that they all are adept vs spin. They would have tested their craft more than those Bangladeshi batters, which would have helped them get into that groove better.
Further, the Duleep Trophy had all the quality speedsters and spinners, barring Jasprit Bumrah, providing them with batting practice. It’s arduous to find the last time their batting was as unreliable as in the New Zealand series. Ashwin failed to get past 18, while Jadeja had two starts but no fifties.
That wouldn’t have been required during their heydays because they are crafty enough to take on the best without genuine match practice. However, age is catching up with both of them. Ashwin is 38, whereas Jadeja will soon turn 36 and has been massively injury-prone lately.
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After a certain age, the body needs more time to get into the rhythm, visible even during the New Zealand series. After two insipid outings in the first two matches, Ashwin and Jadeja finally managed to get going during the third Test. Sure, the track was helpful, but that was also the case in Pune when they erred too much, even after tasting occasional success.
Those mistakes would have happened earlier had they played in the Duleep Trophy. That learning curve and getting into the match practice against quality batters with better techniques would have been earlier. After all, that’s the motive behind such domestic events.
It took them two Test matches here, and the series was gone by the time they operated in full flow. Maybe they wanted to get some rest before a hectic Test season. And you won’t blame them for refreshing themselves by taking some time off.
But this should serve as a caveat for the future. The duo have reached a stage where they must play as much as possible to remain competitive.
There’s an argument that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should have also played in the Duleep Trophy. Maybe they should have, but their issues are more technical, unlike the spin duo. It’s more about getting into the game rhythm in Ashwin and Jadeja’s case.
Quality-wise, there’s no doubt and will never be. No one can take away their skills. But, at this age, they will need more time to get into the groove, especially in the coming times as they continue to slow down.
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