India vs Australia | Some batsmen will be happy if Ashwin misses out, admits Tim Paine
Tim Paine has revealed that if Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin misses the final Test then some of his fellow batsmen would be pretty happy. The four-match Test series between India-Australia is down to the final encounter scheduled to start from tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Indian team currently leads the Border-Gavaskar series 2-1 and with only one more match to go in the series, where they could get into the history books by winning the first Test series on the Australian soil. But, with Ravichandran Ashwin failing to clear the fitness test at the eleventh hour, there has been uncertainty surroundingĀ the offie's availability.
Amidst this uncertainty surrounding Indiaās spin bowlers on a pitch,Ā which is expected to assist the spinners, Australian skipper Tim Paine has stated that some of their batters would be happy if Ashwin doesn't get fit to feature in the final match.
"I think some of our batters will be pretty happy to hear that news (of Ashwin probably missing out). But we know they've got some other spinners in their squad. Kuldeep Yadav is younger but has got some serious talent and Ravindra Jadeja did the job for them in Melbourne," Paine said to PTI.
The hostsā captain has also toned down the clamour surrounding the visitorsā first ever Test series victory Down-under stating that heĀ wouldĀ rather focus on playing the best game possible.Ā
"My focus has been on us improving and us playing the best possible cricket we can. We want to win every Test we play. At times it's not possible. We're playing the best Test team in the world at the moment who are playing really well.ā
With a couple of senior players in Steve Smith and David Warner missing from the Australian squad, the hosts have been unsuccessful in puttingĀ up good performances, particularly on the batting front. For example, not even one Australian batsman has managed to score a century in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series.
"We are constantly a work in progress...as I said before, it is about trying to keep a bit of perspective, a reality about where we are at. I think we are showing signs of getting better. I think in the last Test while our batters didn't set the world on fire, most guys got a start and showed that they can succeed at this level. So in this Test, there is going to be a real focus from our batting group.
"We know we are not going to win too many Test matches without scoring hundreds and that's something that we have spoken about. It is something we are really keen to improve and address," he added.
Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for twelve months in March last year for their involvement in ball tampering in South Africa. Cameron Bancroft, banned for nine months for the same issue, has alreadyĀ returnedĀ to competitive cricket. Even Smith and Warner are expected to return to competitive cricket after March this year.
"The silver lining is that in a few Tests' time we have some world-class players available and we are going to have some younger guys with 8-10 Tests under their belt. So, it is going to be a great thing for Australian cricket," he said.