Former England captain Alastair Cook lauded India for leaving out legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from their playing XI in the first Test against Australia in Perth. Alastair Cook felt that Ravichandran Ashwin would have performed at the Optus Stadium, but he backed the management’s decision to go ahead with four pacers in the pace-friendly conditions. The 39-year-old Alastair Cook lauded the visiting team for not leaving a chance despite getting bowled out for 150 in their first innings.
Opting to go in without a proven performer like Ravichandran Ashwin and batting first in an opening Test of a high-pressure series in Australia are reflections of an Indian team that is brave and supremely confident in its ability to win from any situation, Alastair Cook feels. Alastair Cook, a former captain and the first England batter to make 10,000 runs in Test cricket, praised India for their remarkable comeback after getting bowled out for just 150 in the first Test at Perth.
India goes to Adelaide with 1-0 lead vs Australia at Optus Perth
Despite bowling India out for just 150 in the first innings, Australia appeared to be in control. However, India’s stand-in captain, Jasprit Bumrah, had other plans. He delivered a match-winning performance, taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings to dismiss Australia for a mere 104.
Jasprit Bumrah then added to the damage with two crucial wickets in the final session of Day 3, leaving Australia with a mountain to climb in their chase. Jasprit Bumrah was named Player of the Match for his impressive figures of 5/30 and 3/42. Pat Cummins lauded his counterpart’s consistency, acknowledging Bumrah as one of the best bowlers in the world .The hosts folded for a mere 238 in reply as India took a 1-0 series lead with a thumping 295-run win.
Captaining the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, pace spearhead Bumrah came up with a magnificent performance to grab eight wickets, including a first-innings five-for, to lead India to a memorable win. Former England captain Alastair Cook credits India for leaving out star player Ravichandran Ashwin in BGT 2024-25 Perth Test.
Alastair Cook on India leaving out star player Ravichandran Ashwin from the first Test against Australia in Perth
Former England skipper Alastair Cook credited India for leaving out legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the first Test of the five-match series in Perth. Cook clarified that Ravichandran Ashwin might have delivered regardless of the conditions but backed the team management for going for four fast bowlers in pace-friendly conditions. The 39-year-old further lauded the tourists for taking the game on despite having 150 runs in the first innings.
Cook said on TNT Sports (via The Times of India):
“Just think of how brave they were? They didn’t bother playing Ashwin who has got 500 Test wickets. They’ve kind of played a couple of like, not makes you spinners, but you know, I thought Ravichandran Ashwin would have been outstanding, but you know, great thinking by them.”
“I thought India was so brave. I thought that first, you know, they win the toss and bat on that wicket, you look there, even though there’s only 150 they got, the thought process to say, ‘we’re going to take Australia on there. We know it’s going to be hard, but we think it’s going to be hard for both sides only, and then it’ll be a one-innings game,” he added.
India picked Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fourth seamer for the first Test. He dismissed Mitchell Marsh in the second innings. Washington Sundar was the only spinner in the India playing XI, returning with two wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were ignored in the lineup.
Alastair Cook lauds Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy in 1st test vs Australia
Alastair Cook stressed that Jasprit Bumrah made the right call by opting to bat first. He also lauded him for his fighting display with the ball. He said:
“I think most captains would have bowled first, certainly would have done and probably got the end of a bad result, like normally in Australia. But India took it on brilliantly. It was just an all-round fantastic performance.”
“You think… bowled out for 150, you think we’re struggling here, but to bounce back when you’ve got Boomer (Jasprit Bumrah) up with the new ball on those kinds of wickets, he’s always going to be outstanding and backed up by the team,” he added.
Bumrah picked up eight wickets in the match, including a fifer in the first essay where Australia were bundled out for 104, giving away a 466-run first-innings lead .India lead the five-match series 1-0 after a thumping 295-run win in the Perth Test under the captaincy of Jasprit Bumrah. With the day-night Test approaching, the team is in excellent form, winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener and a warm-up game in Canberra.