Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has said that the Indian spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will dictate the outcome of matches in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Notably, India and Australia will play a five-match Test series for the first time since 1991-92 beginning from November 22.
In recent times, Ashwin and Jadeja have made India a domineering force in Test cricket with their marvellous all-round performances. Speaking about the star Indian duo, Maxwell praised their bowling prowess and mentioned how important they’re for team India’s success.
“I think that over a long period of time, having played against guys like Ashwin and Jadeja, those two seem to have always been the ones we’ve faced consistently, and the battles we’ve had with them have often dictated the outcome of the game,” Maxwell told Star Sports.
Meanwhile, Ashwin and Jadeja are in brilliant form having played a major role in India’s victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. Ashwin scored a magnificent 113 and picked a five-wicket haul while Jadeja scored 86 and scalped five wickets across two innings.
Acknowledging their impact on the Indian team, Maxwell highlighted the importance of batting well against the two stars.
“If we play well against those two (Ashwin, Jadeja), we’ll generally find ourselves in a better position compared to when they’ve had a field day and run through us. Those two guys have been there for most of my career, being of a similar age,” he added.
Faced Bumrah every day in MI nets: Maxwell
Further speaking ahead, Maxwell also hailed speedster Jasprit Bumrah’s remarkable journey and recalled his first impression of him in the MI nets in 2013.
“And probably, more recently, Jasprit Bumrah. I was there in his first year of the IPL in 2013 at Mumbai and pretty much faced him every day in the nets. To see him evolve from a young, untapped talent to what he is now—the probably best bowler across all three formats—is a pretty amazing story,” he said.
Bumrah recently made a comeback to international cricket after his long hiatus following India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win and picked five wickets on his return. The speedster will play a pivotal role for India in Australia having wreaked havoc in the last two tours to the country.
