Xtra Time Web Desk: The dilemma whether to include all rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI for Boxing Day Test which starts from Saturday is the biggest worry for Indian team management. The left arm spinner has been bowling for long hours at the nets in Melbourne Cricket Ground. On Thursday, he also had a fitness test in front of physio Nick Webb. The think tank are still to zero in on whether to play two spinners or not for the all important second test against Australia.
If the practice sessions are an indication than Ravindra Jadeja should be included in the playing XI, considering what he brings to the table with his all round ability. The cricketer from Sourashtra looked quite jovial during the training sessions. He was seen bowling in tandem with Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday at the MCG nets. The biggest question is whether the team management will risk playing two spinners at MCG. And if it does so who would you drop. It has to be at the expense of a batsman and the axe may fall on Hanuma Vihari who has done nothing wrong in his brief test career.
Jadeja, who has bagged 213 wickets and scored 1869 runs in 49 Tests, had missed the final two T20Is and the first Test against the hosts due to a concussion and a hamstring injury suffered during the first T20I.
One of the tour’s finds, pacer T Natarajan bowled well at the nets and often managed to beat the outside edge of both stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Set to play in the second Test against an in-form Australian team, KL Rahul had a long hit at the nets, and so did Rishabh Pant. As the players got busy at the nets after warming up, the Indian think tank — chief coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and batting coach Vikram Rathour — were seen exchanging notes from the practice session.
They also had a long chat with Rahane, who will lead the team in the remaining three Tests in he absence of Virat Kohli, who has flown back to India for the birth of his child.