CHENNAI: Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. It's fair to say the focus will be on these four spinners during the home series against England. On tracks that traditionally assist spin, the onus will be on them to become the strike bowlers.
Considering Ashwin has over 40 scalps against England in India, he is bound to be among the wickets again. But when you take into consideration the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, Sundar, yet to play a home Test, Yadav, who hasn't played a Test in two years or Patel, yet to make his debut, there is a dilemma of sorts for the team management. Who will be Ashwin's spin bowling partner?
Former national selector and left arm spinner, Venkatapathy Raju, believes that it will be a tough call to make as nobody is aware of how the wickets will behave as matches have not been played in almost a year. "You never know at the moment how the surface will behave. No matches have been played at Chepauk for a long time. I heard somewhere that the surface could be a sporting track. But keeping in mind the record at Chennai, spinners have always had purchase and India should play two spinners,'' he said.
Saying that, Raju said he would prefer Yadav to get the nod. "I would prefer Kuldeep to partner with Ashwin. Kuldeep is a proven match winner and the home conditions should suit his style of bowling. When Ashwin, who was in good form in Australia, bowls here, he is bound to choke the English batsman with his variations and guile. This will help Kuldeep to flight the ball better and get good purchase,'' Raju opined.
There is another school of thought that suggests that India can play with two offies.
"I was coming to that (two offies theory). Washington is now an all-rounder, But still very inexperienced at the international level in Tests. England are coming after a good series against Sri Lanka. Playing two offies will depend upon how many left-handed batsman England field,'' insisted Raju.
But former chairman of the national selection committee and wicketkeeper MSK Prasad believes that both Kuldeep and Axar are short of match practice.
"I have not seen much of Kuldeep as he has not been used much outside India. Axar can extract good bounce and can also bat. But he too has not played for a long time for India. Having said that everything depends upon the wicket, conditions and the opposition,'' opined Prasad.