Ashwin remains a doubt as Shastri reveals Jadeja was carrying a niggle in Perth

[Ankit_sharma03]

Off-spinner R Ashwin remains an injury doubt for the third Test against Australia, India coach Ravi Shastri said on Sunday while also adding that Ravindra Jadeja had been carrying a niggle.

Ashwin was sidelined with an abdominal strain for the second Test in Perth and was sorely missed as Australia, led by off-spinner Nathan Lyon, won by 146 runs to level the series 1-1.

 

Shastri revealed Ashwin is racing the clock to be ready for the crunch Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, where the stakes are high in the four-Test series.

“As far as Ashwin is concerned, we are going to take a look and evaluate over the next 48 hours,” Shastri said.

Left-arm off-spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also carrying a niggle, but Rohit Sharma, who also missed Perth after hurting his lower back, is fit again.

“He has made a very good improvement but then again we have got to see how he pulls up tomorrow. But he looks good as of today,” said Shastri.

With Ashwin ruled out for the second Test, Virat Kohli announced an all-pace bowling attack that eventually proved to be decisive in the result, even if the Indian captain disagreed strongly. Despite Lyon’s player-of-the-match performance, Kohli was firm in his stance that selecting a spinner was not even considered when they took a look at the pitch.

 

Shastri, however, seemed to hint that Jadeja would have played if he had not been carrying an injury.

“When you are millions of miles away it’s very easy to fire blanks. The problem with Jadeja was he had taken an injection four days into coming to Australia because of stiffness in shoulder. When you look at Perth, we felt (Jadeja) was about 70-80 per cent fit and we didn’t want to risk that in Perth,” Shastri told reporters.

“If he was 80 per cent fit (in Melbourne), he (would) play. He had taken an injection even in India but he played domestic cricket after that. He still felt stiff in the shoulder when he came here and he was injected again, and it takes time to settle. It took longer than we expected, hence we had to be careful,” he added.

It was interesting, however, that Jadeja was on the field as a substitute quite often during the course of the first two Test matches.

“The last thing we wanted was someone breaking down after five or 10 overs and then we are stuck for players to pick for Melbourne or Sydney.

“We’ll have to evaluate (his) fitness over a 24-hour period and take it one step from there, and also (evaluate) the conditions,” Shastri said.

The Indian coach also confirmed that Hardik Pandya, who joined the squad after Perth Test, is fit but was cautious about throwing him in the deep end.

“He gives you that option, but he’s not played much of first class cricket though. Just one game after injury, we’ve got to be very careful before we actually decide on whether he plays or not,” Shastri said.

On whether he had something to say about criticism from former players over the team selection, Shastri chipped in with a typical quip.

“We have to do what’s best for the team, as simple as that. The question was asked by Jadeja which I answered. I don’t think there was any other selection dilemma. They [former players critcising] are too far away, we are in the Southern Hemisphere,” he signed off.

 

Link- https://scroll.in/field/906716/melbourne-test-ashwin-remains-a-doubt-as-shastri-reveals-jadeja-was-carrying-a-niggle-in-perth

[Clarke]

 He's not just one of lying or incompetent, it's both with this loser of a coach. Why take an injured Jadeja to Aus? Why not play Kuldeep if Ashwin & Jadeja are unavailable ? *in douche

[R!TTER]

This guy's a *in liar & as Clarke said incompetent as *, if Jadeja was injured what the heck was he doing tête-à-tête with Sharma? Why was he fielding as substitute everywhere? These bunch of cucks thinks we're as gullible as their fanbois/girls who go gaga with their insta pics!

 

With this bunch everyone's fit when they're winning, when they're losing though everyone's unfit like Ashwin at Rose Bowl 

[zen]

Play Kuldeep .... and he would take the ball away from left handers 

[Adi BB]

"Niggle" was widely used term under msd when he had to drop someone or pick his cronies, now that legacy is carried forward under bewda and rat .

Kisko chu bana rahe ho ??

[fineleg]

Bewda says 80% fit Jadeja will play?

[tweaker]

Why injured players are holidaying in Australia, they should be sent back.

 

Shikhar Dhawan is also hanging out with the team.

 

As per reports they are enjoying after loosing the test & still have no time to practice 

[bowl_out]

But the 'injured' Jadeja was a substitute fielder for a while at Perth? Doesn't sound logical at all.

 

Anyways, if Ashwin and Jadeja are carrying an injury, will they try Kuldeep at Perth? Might not be a bad choice if Pandya comes back and Kuldeep plays the lone spinner with so many left handers in the Aussie line up.

[Trichromatic]

Ashwin - injured

Jadeja - niggled

Bhuvi - no match practice

Pandya - injured

 

What did they plan for the tests?

 

 

[Trichromatic]

34 minutes ago, zen said:

Play Kuldeep .... and he would take the ball away from left handers 

Kuldeep will play on flat road or green top.

[R!TTER]

Playing soccer between the matches so that the rest can get injured as well 

1 minute ago, Trichromatic said:

Kuldeep will play on flat road or green top.

He will not play, Kohli for some reason doesn't like him at all 

Edited December 23, 2018 by R!TTER

[Trichromatic]

Afghan tests, WI tests, 5 Eng tests.

 

We had at least 5 matches to try out 2 new pacers, but that opportunity was wasted.

[cowboysfan]

They got to play Kuldeep by default,hope he can cut down on his bad balls because spinners have to keep it tight in australia.

[Real McCoy]

Looks like there are some players the TM wants to play and succeed. Rahul has joined Kohli's agent and Shastri is the mouthpiece for who is in and who is out. But the real selection comes from Kohli and his agent. Kohli may have setup Kuldeep to fail in a green wicket and didn't pick him afterwards. Jadeja had a spat with Kohli's best buddy Ishant so he's carrying a "niggle". So four phaast bowlers it is. If Shastri's account of injuries to Ashwin and Jadeja had some validity, and Kuldeep is not playing meaning four phaast bowlers, then we can smell a rat which is Virat.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Real McCoy

[Clarke]

2 hours ago, fineleg said:

Bewda says 80% fit Jadeja will play?

Yes, he was between 70-80% only. Don't you know about the fitometer principle which recommends any player with 79.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% or below fitness shouldn't play ?

 

This was brought in after the massively successful yoyo program. 

[R!TTER]

4 minutes ago, Clarke said:

Yes, he was between 70-80% only. Don't you know about the fitometer principle which recommends any player with 79.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% or below fitness shouldn't play ?

 

This was brought in after the massively successful yoyo program. 

I see what you did there 

[Ankit_sharma03]

 

 

If jaddu wasnt fit why not kuldeep and if u dnt have faith in kuldeep why to take him overseas.M never convinced with the idea of carrying 3 spinners in SENA countries

Edited December 23, 2018 by Ankit_sharma03

[The Realist]

In terms of skills to salary ratio, Cheerleader has to be the worst coach in the history of sport. 

 

Embarrassing at every level. 

[Forever Indian]

So, in terms of squad:

Kuldeep - Can't play as no confidence in him by TM

Jaddu - Can't play due to niggle but named in Playing 13

Bhuvi - Can't play due to lack of match practise but named in Playing 13

Rohit - Should be unselectable as proven so many times

Umesh - Again unselectable as run leaking machine

Vijay - Over the hill (atleast this was ok since he wasn't given the full series in Eng but should be dropped now)

 

So, they are carrying atleast 6 players who either can't play or will play rubbish. Nice holiday for everyone though!

Edited December 23, 2018 by Forever Indian

[Temujin Khaghan]

Sun Tzu teaches strategy to all his students, but when Kohli and Shastri go to him, he tell them strategy will be taught only to those who know common sense...