India’s spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja revealed at the start of the day 2 why pacer Mohammed Siraj wasn’t asked to bowl in the first session of the day. India bowling first at the Melbourne Cricket Ground bundled out the Australia line up for 195 in the 3rd session of first day’s play.
The spearhead of the pace bowling attack Jasprit Bumrah scalped four wickets to his name while Ashwin bamboozled the batsman for three wickets under his tally. Mohammed Siraj who was picked in the side in place of Mohammed Shami bowled fairly late in the innings as spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were introduced into the attack very early on in the innings.
Rahane threw the ball told me to get ready and bowl a few overs before lunch: Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja appeared on the pre-match show on day 2 wherein he revealed how India’s skipper Ajinkya Rahane threw the ball at him very early on in the innings asking him to bowl since the wicket was generating a lot of spin for the bowlers Rahane held back Mohammed Siraj and instead brought Ashwin and Jadeja to bowl before him.
“Bowlers were spot on (on Day 1), they were getting wickets in every interval. The wicket was damp, the ball was turning so (Ajinkya) Rahane threw the ball told me to get ready and bowl a few overs before lunch,” said Jadeja on the pre-match show on Sony Sports Network ahead of the second day’s play.
The tactic did work as Indian spinners ended up picking 4 out of 10 wickets as Ashwin picked three whereas Jadeja picked one. Mohammed Siraj too joined the party as he went on to pick the wickets of Marnus Labuchagne and Cameron Green picking two wickets on debut for the young lad.
