Ravichandran Ashwin‘s ODI comeback made the headline when the squad for the India vs Australia series was announced on Monday. India captain Rohit Sharma and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear that, Ravichandran Ashwin was being called for the India vs Australia three-ODI series, after Axar Patel got injured during the Asia Cup. Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravud has made it clear that the India vs Australia series is no trial for Ravichandran Ashwin.
However, the big question is whether Ravichandran will find a place in the playing XI for the India vs Australia first ODI in Friday. Ravichandran Ashwin last played an ODI in January, 2022. It remains to be seen if he gets a chance in the XI, with the younger Washington Sundar also present in the squad.
In his possible XI ahead of the match, India spin great Harbhajan Singh kept Washington Sundar at the No. 8 spot.
“At No. 8 either Washington Sundar or Ravichandran Ashwin will play. Who gets the chance at forst is the question. I think Washington Sundar will get the chance. Becuase he was called for the Asia Cup final as well (when Axar Patel was injured). And he did not get an opporutnity to perform in the final,” Harbhajan Singh said.
Ashwin, who was sidelined from the India ODI set up following the Champions 2017 Trophy, made a recall to the side in January last year for the ODI series in South Africa. He made his comeback after four and a half years only to be sidelined again. Ashwin’s T20 career has also had a similar trajectory with the 37-year-old being left out of the team following the World Cup in Australia last year.
The first ODI will be played in Mohali on September 22, second in Indore on September 24 and third in Rajkot on September 27. Following that, India will their two World Cup warm-up games against England and Netherlands on September 30 and October 3 in Guwahati and Trivandrum before playing their tournament opener against Australia in Chennai on October 8.
Squad for the first two ODIs: KL Rahul (captain), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Squad for third ODI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
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