Not Ravindra Jadeja, THIS player will be lone spinner in 1st India vs Australia 2024 Test in Perth

Team India are likely to play only a single spinner along with three seamers and Nitish Kumar Reddy as the pace bowling all-rounder in the 1st India vs Australia Test in Perth.

Team India have more or less finalised their bowling line-up under stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah for the first India vs Australia 2024 Test for the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) which gets underway at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday (November 20). With the pitch expected to help the pace bowlers, as it traditionally always does in Perth, India are likely to go into the match with only one specialist spinner in their line-up.

In their last Test against New Zealand in Mumbai earlier this month, India played three spin bowlers in Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar – all of whom could also hold their own with the bat. However, in Perth against the Australians, only Ashwin is about to make the cut, according to a report in Indian Express newspaper.

The off-spinner’s selection is down to the fact that Australia will have at least three left-handers in their line-up, including the dangerous Travis Head. Australia have Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Alex Carey in their line-up and Ashwin is known to have good record against left-handers. He also troubled former Australia captain Steve Smith in the last edition of the BGT.

🚨 RAVI ASHWIN SET TO PLAY PERTH TEST 🚨

– Ravi Ashwin all set to play the first Test Match vs Australia in this Border Gavaskar Trophy as Only Spinner in Indian team. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/qbx8aMeyEp

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) November 20, 2024

With the track at Optus Stadium in Perth likely to have plenty of grass, it seems certain than India will pick three seamers and hand debut to pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. Ashwin, in his long international career, has played only 10 Tests Down Under. He has taken 39 wickets at an average of 42.15 against Australia in their backyard. It has been a big challenge for the Indian side to play two of their best spinners – Ashwin and Jadeja – on away tours.

Captain Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are likely to share the new ball in the Perth Test. The question is who among the three – Akash Deep, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna – is going to be the third seamer.

Krishna was impressive with his pace and accuracy in the second India ‘A’ match against Australia ‘A’ at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) while Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Harshit impressed the team management with his performance in the nets down under.

Akash Deep, on the other hand, was impressive in the Tests against England and Bangladesh earlier this year but was off-form in the games against New Zealand.