'Always Kept Ashwin In'- Anjum Chopra On Legendary Spinner's Exclusion From WTC Final
Anjum Chopra [Image- Twitter]
Former Team India cricketer-turned-commentator, Anjum Chopra has hit back at the Indian team management for not picking legendary off-spinner R Ashwin for the World Test Championship final against Australia.
The Indian think-tank-led by head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma opted to play an extra seamer in the form of Shardul Thakur in place of Ashwin; a decision that came as a shock to fans as well as pundits.
The major reason for the astonishment at the decision was because of Ashwin's outstanding record against Australia, which boasted of plenty of left-handers and a dry Oval wicket, where Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon got a lot of purchase.
The decision backfired as India lacked the potency and variety in their attack to challenge the Australian batsmen on the opening day.
Reacting to the same, Chopra said that a player of Ashwin's stature should always be included in the starting XI irrespective of the conditions and opposition.
"Absolutely! I definitely felt that. In fact, my playing XI did have Ashwin there. I’m not saying that you can’t play four pacers, it’s nothing of that sort, but I always felt that irrespective of the conditions, had India lost the toss and we were asked to bat, we would have struggled to think, ‘Oh! Now what do we do?’ I’m pretty sure that the team management thought through the decision."
"As a player, I would have always kept Ashwin in that line-up, just because, I think he is a quality bowler and irrespective of the conditions, he can deliver the good. And he’s absolutely in isolation, just looking at his skill level and the records the Indian team has had with him in the playing XI."
India eventually got hammered in the final by over 209 runs as they were out-batted by a ruthless Australian unit.
 "Yash Mittal")
