IND vs SA: “Ravichandran Ashwin fills Ravindra Jadeja’s void” says Virat Kohli

Cape Town: Ravichandran Ashwin has displayed his batting skills very well when given the opportunity. Something similar happened on the tour of South Africa Test as well. Talking about the same Kohli stated that Ashwin has filled in the void left by the injured Ravindra Jadeja in an outstanding manner.

Ashwin played a stellar knock of 46 from 50 balls and was the team’s second highest scorer, after stand-in skipper KL Rahul’s 50. India managed to score 202 in the first innings of the second Test losing all wickets. While Ashwin returned wicket-less in the first innings, he bagged 1/26 from his 11.4 overs in South Africa’s second essay, as they hosts secured a seven-wicket win to restore parity.

“Jadeja’s value everyone understands and what he has done for the team, but I think Ash has been playing that role pretty well for us,” Kohli said on the eve of the third and final Test in Cape Town.

“Ash knows that his game has come forward by leaps and bounds especially bowling overseas. He understands that himself from Australia onwards.”

Usually Ashwin and Jadeja play together in home Tests, Jadeja is the preferred option for overseas Test matches due to his better batting and fielding abilities. Impressed by the premier off-spinner’s consistency with both bat and ball in recent years Kohli heaped Ashwin’s contribution to the team.

“If you look at his batting contribution in the last Test and the way he bowled in the second innings I think that’s an outstanding contribution to the team. He’s in a very comfortable space where he’s willing to contribute to the team and he’s doing so in the right intention, in the right way,” Kohli said, giving full support the senior player.

Jadeja had suffered a right forearm injury during the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur and after undergoing scans, he was diagnosed with a swelling on his forearm that ruled him out of the South Africa tour.

Kohli said it does not really matter to him when he has either Ashwin or Jadeja at his disposal. “When you have these two quality cricketers one or the other it really doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, Jadeja has had an injury.
But Ash has obviously done the job in his absence and we have full faith that Ash can continue to play that role of spinning allrounder for us in any condition that we play,” he asserted.