Sunil Gavaskar believes Ravi Ashwin and Pandya gives batting depth to India in Tests

Unlike ODIs, the tailenders have a more prominent role to play in Tests. It is important to grind it out and frustrate the opposition who are itching to bowl the opposition out. Having a depth in the batting line-up is crucial in the longest format and Sunil Gavaskar believes the batting ability of Ravi Ashwin and Hardik Pandya will help India in the upcoming Test series.

Their main role is to bowl well upfront though and their batting is an added advantage. While Pandya is an all-rounder and will bat at number 7, Ashwin will follow him in the line-up. Their role will be to add some important runs to the total while batting with the tail. Both of them have done it before perfectly and might have to do more of the same in the next five Tests.

India have an added advantage

Sunil Gavaskar, in his column for the Times of India, spilt the beans on the visitors’ combination for the series opener and felt that they have the depth in their batting. He highlighted the Test centuries which Ravi Ashwin and Hardik Pandya have under their belt.

“They have the advantage of two of their bowlers, R Ashwin and Hardik Pandya with Test hundreds under their belts, so they can bat deep even if they go with five batsmen and there’s Dinesh Karthik too, who has a Test hundred. If Karthik bats at six with Ashiwn and Pandya to follow then they can play Kuldeep Yadav as the second spinner,” he wrote.

The former Indian cricketer further was of the opinion that the first game of the series is always important for both the competing teams. “India’s think tank will be wrestling with the combination of their team for the opening Test which is a game that invariably sets the tone for the rest of the series,” Gavaskar added.

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