IND対AUSの第2テストで、インドはワシントン・サンダーをラヴィチャンドラン・アシュウィンに代えてチャンスを無駄にしたのだろうか？

India cricket team decided to replace Washington Sundar with Ravichandran Ashwin in IND vs AUS 2nd Test where they suffered a 10-wicket loss to Australia. While it made all the sense for the side to have their best Pink-Ball bowler for the game, they hardly used the services of the veteran, casting aspersions on if Sundar would have been a better fit in the XI, given that they needed more depth in batting which Ashwin failed to provide. After being a part of the Test side for three consecutive games, Sundar paved way for Ashwin in India’s XI in Adelaide, and it is safe to say that India’s plans backfired.

Did India commit blunder by replacing Sundar with Ashwin?

In terms of numbers, Ravichandran Ashwin was India’s best Pink Ball bowler, with 18 wickets to his name in the format. His inclusion in the playing XI purely in terms of his stats was a no-brainer. Was he a wise choice for the IND vs AUS 2nd Test in Adelaide? Perhaps not. 46 out of the 47 wickets that Ashwin has taken in 2024 have come from matches played in India. While Sundar had indeed got some game time in Australia after featuring in the 1st Test in Perth followed by the Pink-Ball warm-up game against PM XI, Ashwin warmed the bench throughout and came straight into the side for the 2nd Test in Adelaide.

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Make no mistake, Ashwin is arguably one of India’s best bowlers in the red-ball format. But the veteran spinner’s stats from over the last few years clearly indicate that he is a bowler who is a perfect fit for conditions at home and not so much in overseas. Majority of the wickets that Ashwin has bagged over the last four years have come in India.

With that being said, there is no comparison between Ashwin and Sundar. However, Sundar has a little bit more experience of playing in Australian conditions, having been a part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2021 and 2024. Additionally, his track record with the bat in both the years has been pretty much more impressive than Ashwin’s, registering scores of 62, 22, 4 and 29 in 4 innings as opposed to Ashwin’s 22, 7 in two innings in Australia.

While India might have backed their instinct to include Ashwin in the XI for the Adelaide Test, his performance is a signal for the selectors to reconsider his position in the XI, at least for the Brisbane Test. An in-form Washington Sundar, both with bat and ball, warrants for a place in the side ahead of his Tamil Nadu teammate and there should be no second thought about it if India want additional ammunition in the batting order especially.