Internet Desk: The absence of Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan will give Australia an edge, feel Aussie spinning all-rounder Ashton Agar. The left arm Aussie spinner said, “Shikhar is in good form, so him not playing is a positive for us.”
There is no denying that the Indian opener has been in form in the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka. The left hander also registered a couple of centuries against the Aussies and averages a healthy 44.71.
“Shikhar is in good form, so him not playing is a positive for us,” Agar said at a press conference in Chennai on Friday.
The dashing Delhi batsman is now in Melbourne to be with his wife who is not well. His last minute pull out will definitely open up the option at the top of the order with both Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul being the other options.
Dhawan’s absence will also mean India have Axar Patel as the only recognised left-hand batsman, making Australia’s bowling strategy a bit easier.
It will be almost two years that a One Day International will be played at the MA Chidambaram stadium. The last time an international match was played was between India and South Africa, where the hosts prevailed over the Proteas by 35 runs. The wicket at Chepauk has always favoured the spinners and it will be no different as was evident from the warm up match this week. The pitch assisted the spinners and it will be interesting to see if the visitors field two spinners in the first ODI.
According to Agar, “It all depends on the wicket. Adam (Zampa) obviously is the frontline spinner in the squad and he has bowled really in these conditions in the IPL and previous tours. It’s obvious that he will start,” Agar said, adding: “If the wicket remains (good), I think there might be a chance (for me).”
Ashton Agar said wrist spinners like Zampa and Yuzvendra Chahal could have an impact on this series because they don’t have to depend on the pitch to extract spin.
“They are really valuable assets. They can spin the ball both ways. When it’s a night time, it’s hard to pick the wrong one as well. They are genuinely good bowlers and are wicket-taking options for the side. They can be hard to get away,” he said.