India vice-captain KL Rahul admitted that there’s a temptation to play three spinners in the Nagpur Test, but the team management have yet to finalise the playing XI for the series opener against Australia.
“There will be a temptation to play three spinners because of the turning tracks in India but we would know the pitch on the day of the game,” Rahul said during a media interaction in Nagpur on Tuesday.
The Indian squad has four frontline spinners- Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Axar Patel. Kuldeep performed admirably in the most recent Test against Bangladesh, while Axar Patel has been a standout in the red ball format, and R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja have been India’s frontline spinners for quite some time.
Ashwin and Jadeja may be the best options in terms of performance and balance. The duo are not only good with the ball, but they can also score runs with the bat. India may not be tempted to bring in a third spinner, but if they are, Kuldeep Yadav could be included in the starting XI.
India will be without Rishabh Pant (who is recovering from an accident), and Shreyas Iyer is also a doubtful starter, so there will be at least a couple of spots open.
“If situation demands us to play free shots we will go for it otherwise we stick to the regular Test cricket batting template. It is basically trying to work out a plan between the batters in the middle,” Rahul said.
Will Australia’s lack of tour games affect their readiness for the India challenge? Rahul believes that a practise match would have made little difference for a top-tier team like Australia.
“Australian team not playing practice games won’t make much of a difference, they are a quality side and they would have prepared well,” he said.
