How Rohit juggled Ashwin, Axar and Jadeja

Captaining Ashwin and Jadeja in India is like leading Cummins and Starc in Australia, says Rohit Sharma

India skipper Rohit Sharma gave a huge compliment to India's spin-bowling pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, saying that leading them was similar to captaining Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in Australia.

Ashwin and Jadeja scripted Australia's collapse in the opening Test in Nagpur as India took a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar series, defeating the visitors by an innings and 132 runs.

Rohit also said that the Indian pair always aims to "reach the next level" while playing Tests.

"He (Ashwin) looks a different bowler. I wouldn't say an improved bowler as he was always a good bowler but he looks a different bowler every time he plays Test cricket. That's what good cricketers do. They try and up their game and try to reach the next level," said Rohit.

Ashwin, who reached a personal milestone of 450 wickets in Test cricket, also picked up his 31st five-for and a match haul of eight wickets.

Asked about the feeling of captaining a side that has Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel in its ranks, Rohit replied, "It's like captaining (Pat) Cummins, (Josh) Hazlewood and (Mitchell) Starc in Australia. Pretty similar. When you have the quality of Axar, Jadeja, and Ash, having played in India for so many years, playing on pitches like these, it's always a blessing."

Rohit, who scored a century and laid the platform for a 400-run total, said pitch conditions are the same for everyone but what makes the three India spinners special is their ability to extract the maximum out of the wicket.

"Conditions are there for everyone but what they extract from those conditions make them really, really special. They have played on these pitches a lot and they know which areas to hit, how to keep applying that pressure."

Juggling three seasoned pros

Often, when there are three spinners in the side, one tends to get under-bowled. Rohit tickled a funny bone when he cited his "worries" while rotating the bowling between Ashwin, Axar and Jadeja.

"It's a little tough. They are all reaching their personal milestones. Jadeja was on 249 wickets and he was telling me, 'mere ko ball de' (give me the ball)."

"Ashwin was on four wickets and he wanted a five-for and that was the challenge I was facing. I really don't know too much about milestones but these guys know about it, so yeah that's the challenge of captaining them rather than deciding which end to give them or not," said Rohit as everyone had a hearty laugh.

"Again the three guys are quality and, you know, whichever end is more helpful, all these spinners want to bowl from that end. But pressure is always on me to find the right end for the right one."

• AUSTRALIA IN INDIA, 2023