Ashwin, Jadeja axe not a surprise for Williamson

The NZ skipper feels owing to the volume of cricket played these days, it is not possible for every player to participate in all formats.

From left: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been sidelined for the ODI series against New Zealand starting October 22 in Mumbai.

 

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who is currently warming-up for the ODI series against India starting October 22, spoke highly of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and the quality of cricketers within the Indian think tank in recent times.

“Certainly in the last year or two, he’s been playing outstandingly well. We saw it in the IPL and even in the series against us, he bowled very well. Now, we’re seeing him come along with the bat and making contributions that any team would be happy to have from their all-rounder.

Read: Williamson wary of Kuldeep, Chahal

“He’s a very vital player for the Indian side in terms of a fast bowling all-rounder in these conditions. Anyone who bowls good pace and hits it out of the park is always exciting to have,” said Williamson.

The 27-year-old isn't surprised to learn that India had left out senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja from their squad. “There are so many quality players within the Indian squad and they have been playing so much cricket lately that it’s only natural that certain players are rested certain times. At times, throughout the summer, when we had busy schedules we did the same thing. It’s impossible for everyone to play all formats all the time because the schedule is so dense. But you always know that the team India puts out will be very strong,” he added.