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India's Ashwin ruled out of Boxing Day Test

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24th December, 2018
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India have ruled out Ravichandran Ashwin for the Boxing Day Test with the star offspinner yet to fully recover from his abdominal strain.

Team management confirmed the news on the eve of the third Test against Australia, but the tourists are yet to confirm their XI.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is firming to play at the MCG while pace-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya is also in the mix.

Jadeja was ruled out for the first two Tests after having injections in his shoulder but is expected to prove his fitness.

Last time the sides met in a Boxing Day fixture, a lifeless MCG pitch ensured there was no prospect of anything other than a draw.

With the current series tied at 1-1, Indian skipper Virat Kohli was optimistic enough work had been done on the pitch to ensure a result.

“Seeing the pitch now, it has much more grass than it had last time,” Kohli told reporters.

“I hope that it’s a lively pitch. I hope that it does as much as it did in the first two games because as a side, you know you’re always in for a result that way.

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“The surface, what I saw yesterday looked pretty dry underneath. There’s a good coverage of grass which should keep the surface intact.

“I think it should have enough for the bowlers to be interested on all days of the Test match and hopefully it’s a much more lively wicket than the last time we played here.”

© AAP

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