Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who completed their 500 Test wickets on Sunday, will have a key role to play on the final day of the ongoing second Test against the West Indies, thinks former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra.
“Ashwin has already picked up a couple of wickets. Jadeja, on a Day 5 surface, is always a threat. So, I expect them to bowl a lot of overs in tandem in the second or the third session if the game goes that far because the Indian team will also start thinking about the number of overs remaining and how many overs they can get in because these two spinners can actually put in their overs in double quick time. So, yes, expecting a few wickets from them,” said Chopra on JioCinema.
Ashwin-Jadeja became the second India spin pairing to score 500 Test dismissals. They went past the previous record held by Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.
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In the match in progress, the stage is set for an interesting finish as West Indies still require 289 runs for victory with eight wickets in hand.
After India set a target of 365 runs on a rain-curtailed penultimate day, the hosts reached 76/2 at stumps with Tagenarine Chanderpaul (24 runs) and Jermaine Blackwood (20 runs) holding the fort.
Chopra believes the Caribbean side would look to lasting as long as possible and push the game to a draw.
“It depends on what they’re actually thinking about. If they want to win this game, then they have to play a slightly aggressive brand of cricket. But if they’re just thinking of drawing this game, they view it as a victory then more of the same. That’s what they have done. So, I once again expect them to block a lot of deliveries and wait for loose balls to score runs. Not a great strategy but that’s what West Indies is likely to do,” he said.
However, he opines that the pitch won’t trouble the West Indies much.
“This pitch is not your conventional Day 5 surface which is deteriorating really fast. It is a surface where if you apply yourself as a batter there are no demons in it. Maybe, one good ball once in a while, but that should actually not give you sleepless nights,” said Chopra.
Earlier on Day 4, India pacer Mohammed Siraj did the star turn with the ball, claiming 5/60 which went a long way in bowling out the Windies for 255 in the 1st innings. Thereafter, skipper Rohit Sharma (57) and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan (52 not out) played whirlwind knocks to help India declare their second innings at 181/2.
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