Ash bowled better on but Jadeja was better in the final 2 sessions.
In England, both should play. Given how good Bhuvi is under clouds as a bowler, while being a decent bat as well, we can afford to go with 5 bowlers there. We just need Kohli and the openers to click.
Same for Durban/Sydney.
So essentially, we are talking about the other 3 venues in SA (Centurion, Joburg and Newlands), NZ and MCG, Gabba and WACA in Oz.
Unless we somehow develop a fast bowling all rounder in the next 12 months (and that would mean giving Pandya or Shardul test matches now), we will be forced to go with a 4-man bowling attack with just one spinner. At this point, I think that has to be Jadeja.
1. Since we are discussing the lone spinner for overseas tests, I asked that question about who bowled better. I get your point but let me explain my point of view.
2. We may have a difference of opinion here but watching both spinners at play, Ash was better than Jaddu (and all other bowlers) in both session 1 and 2 by a significant margin. He didn't bowl much on session 3. But Jaddu was more effective. To take a 7fer in an innings where other spinners couldn't take more than 2 is a huge achievement. As others have mentioned, he was my MOM too. Turned a draw into a win. Did what others couldn't do.
3. Now as for his 7fer, if we are going to base that as one of the supporting reasons why he has to be picked for overseas as the lone spinner (cos he knows how to pick wickets on flat tracks or keeps it tight).....then we have to honestly analyze that performance. Can you name just 3 dismissals in that 7fer where he worked out the batsmen and got them out? Fact is there isn't.
Cook got out to a wide ball...Jennings got out to a nothing ball....Root tried to sweep a full ball.....Moeen threw his wicket away....Stokes was on backfoot and done in by the grip on the pitch (that rare ball where pitch helped)...then you had the 2 tails who Jaddu cleaned up beautifully towards the end of the day.
This doesn't mean Jaddu bowled crap and was lucky. We have to understand what kind of a bowler Jaddu is to see why he was successful here. In this pitch, Jaddu's style of bowling is incapable of working out batsmen and getting the wickets (random wickets sure....consistent wickets no). What he did was he laid the trap. Kept it fast and tight, preyed on the insecurities and fears of the batsmen and let them crumble to their own doom. The same bowling on the same pitch in maybe some other situation would have made him go wicketless or maybe take 2 odd wickets. You just have to see Jaddu's innings by innings breakdown to see that his wicket columns will fluctuate from innings to innings regardless of pitch. In Rajkot, he picked 3 wickets in first innings (best bowler on show from our side) but in 2nd innings, he was attacked as well as went wicketless. You just cannot find any trends because Jaddu lays the trap. If it clicks, it clicks. Or else, he could go home with virtually nothing. That's why he is a great support bowler (due to his accuracy) but cannot be relied upon as the main spinner.
4. Ash on the other hand wasn't the best bowler on show in the first innings (it was Jaddu). But the 2nd innings, he almost did what no other spinner from either side could do - get consistent wickets through guile on this pitch instead of false shots or slogging. Cook (dropped, popped), Jenning (edged), Moeen (outside edge), Stokes (don't remember exactly but looked like taking him out anytime), Rashid (edged - Pappu could have caught it but not in position)....he could have walked away with a 5fer and there would be 1000 articles about how he is slowly proving people wrong but sometimes, luck doesn't go your way. And this luck isn't the Ishant Sharma coulda woulda shoulda luck (in the past where he used to bowl back of the length) where you have oohs and aahs every game but don't get wickets. Ash got the edges but wickets didn't fall. To be fair to Jaddu, he could have got Buttler through a proper method (ball popped out) but Rahul missed out a chance. What you saw yesterday, was one of the finest exhibitions of spin bowling by Ash. But as luck would have it, he now runs the risk of losing his number 1 spot after bowling one of his top spells. Nasser was gutted he couldn't get a wicket....when he deserved a 5fer.
5. It all comes down to this....one spinner is a hunter....another is a cunning trap setter. While trap setters are good, they don't make things happen. They let others fall to their doom. In overseas tests, majority of the times, we need spinners who can make things happen. They are more likely to get you those breakthroughs to win the game. Jaddu's economy couldn't get us a Wellington win but a couple of crucial wickets could have. Same way, his economy in Lord's didn't help us win...Ishant Sharma magical spell did. You take any overseas test Jaddu played, his economy couldn't prevent a defeat (in NZ or Eng)....neither could it help us get a win. It's NOT his fault. That's his style of bowling.
6. Bottomline is either Jaddu plays as 2nd spinner overseas or doesn't play at all. If Ashwin doesn't click, then get someone like Kuldeep (attacking spinner who makes things happen) in and go for it. If he too doesn't click, get someone else. Yasir won Pakistan 2 tests in England cos he took wickets by powering through. That's what we need from a spinner overseas (do damage whenever you can).
If you suggest Jaddu to be the lone spinner on a pukka green seamer that has NO chance of becoming brown and turning later on (like Lord's)..a track where spinner is unlikely to get wickets but can keep things tight and help with over rate....that's something I completely agree with. Always have.