Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday backed the selectors’ decision of resting the country’s premier spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and picking the younger crop instead ahead of the Australia series.
“It’s the selectors’ decision. It is good to test youngsters ahead of the World Cup,” Ganguly told reporters on the sidelines of a music launch.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, chinaman Kuldeep Yadav and leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are India’s main tweakers for the first three of the five ODIs against the Aussies.
Ashwin, 30, is currently in England playing for Worcestershire in the County cricket championship. Jadeja, too, has been rested, given the hectic season ahead for Team India.
Ganguly did not want to predict the series but said it won’t be a 5-0 whitewash like Sri Lanka away as Australia are a good side.
“At home India will be tough to beat. 5-0 won’t happen as Australia are a good team.”
On Yuvraj Singh, who played his last ODI against West Indies in June, being ignored, Ganguly said: “He isn’t finished. Nothing is over till it’s actually over.”
Meanwhile, Ganguly, who is also co-owner of Indian Super League (ISL) franchise ATK, lauded the renovation work that has been done at the Salt Lake Stadium which will host ten FIFA U-17 World Cup matches including the final.
“The stadium looks awesome from the outside. I haven’t been inside. When I was young, I used to train there along with (tennis star) Leander (Paes),” he said.
“I want to renovate the Eden Gardens like this. I will come for the final,” he added.
