New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Former India captain Ajay Jadeja believes Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood’s exclusion from the second Test starting on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval will be a blow to the Rohit Sharma-led side. The path will be easy.
Hazlewood has been ruled out of playing in Adelaide with a side strain, while uncapped pacemen Sean Abbott and Brendon Doggett have been included in the Test squad for the pink-ball Test. The pacer took five wickets in Australia’s 295-run loss to India in the first Test in Perth.
When Australia last played India in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide in 2020, Hazlewood mainly bowled destructively, taking a lethal 5-8 in five overs as India were bowled out for 36 in the second innings. Was out on run.
“Despite that (Hazlewood taking five wickets), we won (in Perth),” Jadeja said in an exclusive chat with IANS on the sidelines of the 14th global sports summit ‘Turf 2024’ organized by FICCI at its headquarters in New Delhi. So he’s not there, it just makes it easier for you, until you find a new star, because that’s another thing with the game you will always feel – that unless someone is on the field on that particular day But until he comes, he is unknown.”
“But sometimes even talented people have to start someday, so I hope they don’t get someone more talented, otherwise it’s a good sign,” Jadeja said. For India, top-order changes are on the cards in Adelaide as captain Rohit Sharma is available after missing the Perth Test due to paternity leave, while Shubman Gill has shown signs of recovery from a left thumb injury.
He said, “It’s a headache at least for the captain and the coach. At least, the captain comes in, so it’s his headache as to who he keeps out, which is a good headache. I mean those guys “Instead of looking for someone who’s going to win me games, now you have to put out someone who’s going to win you games. So if you have someone, it’s a good headache.”
India is playing a test match with pink ball in Adelaide after almost two years. The visitors last played a pink-ball match against Sri Lanka in March 2022 in Bengaluru. “Like life, everything is changing. It’s 10.30 in the morning, bright and awake and that’s what this game used to be – that it was a game you got up in the morning.”
Jadeja said, “Now suddenly your peak time has to be at 11.30 pm, so that is the challenge that could be there for some of them in addition to other (on-field) challenges. But I think our team and their preparation Has always been good and I am sure he will meet all the challenges.
The IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah last week saw a huge surge in demand for young Afghanistan players by all ten franchises. Players like Noor Ahmed (Rs 10 crore), Allah Ghazanfar (Rs 4.8 crore), Azmatullah Umarzai (Rs 2.8 crore) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Rs 2 crore) received hefty sums from Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. Earned a salary.
Jadeja, who mentored Afghanistan at the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup where they won four group stage games, was delighted to see the talent and skill of the country’s players being recognized by the franchises in building their IPL squads.
“I am blessed and fortunate to spend time with him. They’re an amazing group of players and I think market forces played a role in it, because it’s very clear in the auction that it’s market forces. So the people running the game in India are giving importance to players from that part of the world and this was seen in the (mega) auction.
“I don’t think the level of a player depends on what kind of price he is bought for because there are many dynamics in the auction – like which stage you come in, and which team has what. . But it feels good to know that the teams or bodies that are running cricket – the 10 corporate teams that run (IPL) cricket in India, are giving importance to these players.”
He concluded, “It also shows that this is the future for all the other children in that part of the world. So these are the leaders of Afghanistan and if they are being valued – I don’t just mean in terms of the auction – but also in terms of acceptance into a team, they are seen as match winners, then imagine that back home. The coming children will look at him as an inspiration.
–IANS
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