Spin duo Ashwin, Jadeja hailed after Australia rout

The “deadly” spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were hailed yesterday by Indian media and pundits as they revelled in Australia’s second Test drubbing. Ashwin and Jadeja destroyed Australia’s batting to set up a six-wicket victory in Delhi on Sunday and give India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series.
It puts the home side on course for their fourth straight series win over the world’s top-ranked side. Resuming day three on 61-1, Australia slumped to 113 all out before lunch with Jadeja (7-42) and Ashwin (3-59) sharing all 10 wickets, leaving India a 115-run victory target which they romped past in less than 27 overs.
“Ravindra Jadeja is brilliant. India are unstoppable. But how bad are Australia?” the Hindustan Times newspaper asked. “The image of the famed Australian fighting spirit stood shattered” after the team’s second consecutive defeat within three days, the newspaper added. “This isn’t an Australian team that fights. This is a team that rolls over and lets the opposition breeze past,” it said.
Six of the 10 Australian batsmen, including Steve Smith and David Warner’s concussion substitute Matt Renshaw, fell after attempting cross-batted sweep or reverse sweep shots on a tricky turning pitch with variable bounce.
India skipper Rohit Sharma said the sweep had been “not a very good option” for the visitors. “Stepping out to the spinners was probably the safer option,” he said after the match. The Indian Express newspaper called Jadeja and Ashwin “Yin and Yang, AC-DC, a deadly pair that cannot be unhyphenated” and “the world’s most deceptive spin act”.
It is “high time they are bracketed among the finest bowling tag-teams in history, like Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson,” the daily said.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle described Australia as “a house of cards” after their second batting collapse in successive matches. They have “so much to worry about and not as many options,” Bhogle added. Sachin Tendulkar tweeted that Jadeja “literally ‘TURNED’ the match in our favour”. The third Test starts on March 1 at Indore in central India.

CAPTAIN CUMMINS FLIES HOME, HAZLEWOOD OUT OF INDIA TOUR
Australia captain Pat Cummins left the tour of India yesterday to return home because of a family illness, but will return in time for next week’s third Test.
“Pat Cummins has flown home for personal reasons due to a serious family illness,” said a Cricket Australia statement. “He will return to India later this week to rejoin preparations for the third Test in Indore. We ask media to respect his privacy.”
India hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series after Australia lost the second Test in Delhi by six wickets on Sunday. Cricket Australia announced that pace bowler Josh Hazlewood had been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a persistent Achilles tendon injury and would return home.
A spokesman denied Australian media reports that injured opening batsman David Warner would immediately return home after fracturing his elbow and being concussed in the first innings at Delhi. “Just to be clear, David Warner is not leaving the tour at this stage,” the spokesman said. “Any squad changes will be announced once medical staff and selectors finalise them.”
Australia coach Andrew McDonald had better news about Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc. McDonald declared all-rounder Green 100 percent fit for the third Test and said that Starc was also in line to play.
Both have been recovering from serious finger injuries and Green was close to being available for the Delhi Test. McDonald said Starc had been available, despite not being 100 per cent fit, but Australia opted for a third spinner in Matthew Kuhnemann, who made his debut.