MS Dhoni has said India have found a "settled batting and bowling combination" for the remaining three Tests in the series against Australia. It is every indicator that India will go ahead with playing five bowlers, including Ravindra Jadeja as the third spinner, for the remainder of the Test series.
Under Dhoni, India have rarely gone in with five bowlers, even if including an allrounder, but the last two Tests - against England in Nagpur and Australia in Chennai - have been different. Dhoni said that playing at home had made the five-bowler choice "a big plan". Due to the conditions at work, he said, they can perfect the combination at home.
Playing overseas with Dhoni as the sixth batsman makes the batting look "weak." At home, though, including Jadeja in XI has worked, Dhoni said. "With three Tests to come this looks like a very settled batting and bowling combination."
The three spinners put into use on the way to India's eight-wicket win over Australia in Chennai did not include left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who had taken 20 wickets in the last series against England. The closer the Hyderabad pitch resembles the one in Chennai, the greater the chances of Ojha sitting out of a match on his home ground. Jadeja, who bowls left-arm spin and has far greater batting credentials than Ojha, Dhoni said, had made it into the team as a third spinning option.
The choice of Jadeja over Ojha, Dhoni said, had worked for two reasons. Offspinners R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh had been brought in because Australia had four left-hand batsmen in their top six. "They had lots of left-handers and we assumed the wicket will turn and often it is said the away-going spinner is quite difficult to play," Dhoni said. The inclusion of Jadeja came about due to his batting abilities over Ojha's and because he could "bowl long spells and can be conservative in that he can bowl tight".
"That was one of the reasons we said let's go with two offspinners and one left-arm with Jadeja doing the job."
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