Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah
Team India did not feature any spinners in the pink ball warm-up game last week at the Sydney Cricket Ground despite both Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav playing the opening practice tie the week before. There, of course, could be a few legitimate reasons behind the notion, one of which could be observing and studying the strategy which India might most likely opt for in the Border-Gavaskar series opener in Adelaide on December 17.
In the seven day-night matches that have been played in Australia since 2015, spinners have averaged almost 50 with a wicket roughly every 88 balls and almost one every innings. And is despite Nathan Lyon averaging 25.96 in all those seven games with a decent strike rate of 55.4. The pacers, on the other hand, average 24.71 and take wickets every 50 balls. The numbers in Adelaide, where four day-night Tests have been played so far, are roughly the same for the spinners - 49.83 average and 85.2 strike rate.
Lyon's success comes from Mitchell Starc's heavy boots who has played all the seven pink ball games in Australia. The offie has picked 26 wickets at 23.44 with a strike rate of 52.3 balls in his four Adelaide, far better than his career average of 31.58 and strike rate of 62.9.
Visiting spinners have struggled immensely in day-night matches Down Under, picking a combined 13 wickets in 23 innings at an average of 95.38 and strike rate of 150.6. In Adelaide, the corresponding numbers are six wickets in 14 innings at an average of 119.83 and wicket every 167 deliveries. The most notable of all has been Pakistan's leg-spinner Yasir Shah who managed just three wickets in 85.1 overs across two pink-ball Tests that he played in Australia. Overall, visiting sides have mostly resolved to picking a spin all-rounder rather than an out-and-out bowler, barring a few cases and India have Hanuma Vihari to fulfil that role if Ashwin is left out, although he is more of a part-time bowler who had dismissed Alastair Cook in his farewell Test in 2018.
It is hence only comprehensible if India go with an all-pace attack in Adelaide, although Kuldeep Yadav, who had taken a five-for in the only game he played in the previous tour, has backed the option of picking one spinner in the playing XI.
"I feel it's difficult to read spinners at night, because if a spinner uses variations it's not always easy to spot the seam position of the ball," Yadav told kkr.in. "That can be an advantage for us. I have never experienced a pink-ball match outside India. So, it will be exciting to see how it goes."
The much-experienced Umesh Yadav will be the most likely pick as the third seamer. He picked three wickets in the opening practice game where he showed immense control with the ball. If it is the four-pace attack strategy for India, the management will have to choose between Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj, both of whom are yet to make a debut in the format.
