India Faces Australia Without Ashwin And Jadeja: A Look At Their Last Absence In Test Cricket

India has made a surprising decision by excluding experienced players Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja from the first Test against Australia. The match is taking place in Perth, and both seasoned all-rounders have been left out of the playing eleven.

Despite their vast experience, Washington Sundar has been chosen over the two veterans. This move indicates a strategic shift by the team management to adapt to the conditions. Sundar, who has performed well for India recently, brings valuable experience from playing in Australia and aims to make a significant impact.

Since Ravindra Jadeja's debut, India has played only five Test matches without both Ashwin and Jadeja. Notably, four of these matches have occurred in Australia.

Ashwin has participated in 105 Tests with an impressive tally of 536 wickets. Meanwhile, Jadeja has taken 319 wickets in his 77 matches for India. Their absence from the team is unusual given their critical roles over the years.

The last instance when India played without both Ashwin and Jadeja was during the final Test at Gabba, Brisbane in 2021. Despite missing key players due to injuries, India chased down a target of 328 runs to win by three wickets. This victory secured a series win of 2-1 against Australia.

In that match, Australia's first innings score was boosted by Marnus Labuschagne's century (108), reaching a total of 369 runs. Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur shared five wickets between them. India's response was led by Washington Sundar's gritty knock of 67 and Shardul Thakur's crucial innings of 62 after a middle-order collapse.

Siraj achieved his maiden five-wicket haul as Australia was dismissed for 294 runs in their second innings. India's chase featured significant contributions from Shubman Gill (91), Cheteshwar Pujara (56), and Rishabh Pant's unbeaten knock of 89 runs sealed the game with a boundary.

This triumph not only ended Australia's long-standing unbeaten record at Gabba but also ensured that India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.