'No Other Top-Class Cricketer Has Been Treated As Bafflingly As Ashwin': Sunil Gavaskar
Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 61 wickets in WTC Cycle 2021-23 [Source: Twitter]
Even after 48 hours after India lost the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final against Australia, former players, fans, and critics are still debating about the reasons behind Rohit Sharma and Co.'s downfall in the marquee match for the coveted mace. Several experts are pining down the blame on India's poor selection, which saw team management drop Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI.
India went on to suffer a 209-run loss, as Australia lifted the ICC Test Mace to become the only team in the world to clinch all ICC titles available across formats. Ashwin, who is India's second-highest wicket-taker (474) in Tests, was also their leading wicket-getter in WTC 2021-23 cycle with 61.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who voiced his opinion on India's call to drop Ashwin, in a new remark criticised head coach Rahul Dravid, captain Sharma and also previous managements.
In his column for Mid Day, Gavaskar wrote that he was baffled by the way Ashwin had been treated over and over again.
Here's what Gavaskar wrote
"If Ashwin had been in the team, who knows what could have happened. With the bat too, he could have contributed. No other top-class Indian cricketer in the modern era has been treated as bafflingly as Ashwin has been. Tell me if there was a No. 1 ICC-ranked batter in the team, would he have been left out of the playing XI just because in earlier times he had not got runs on a grassy pitch or if he had not scored runs on a dry spin-friendly pitch? Definitely not."
"In Ashwin's case, despite being the No.1 bowler, he is not always the first spinner to be brought on. Oh yes, there are reasons given that there were right-handers at the crease, so a left-handed spinner was given the ball or the wind was blowing in a certain direction or the bowler's follow through footmarks were for the left-handed spinner, etc as if Ashwin has only left-handed batters as his wickets."
In seven Tests in England, Ashwin has claimed 21 wickets, and last played a red-ball match back in 2021 against New Zealand in the WTC 2021 Final, where he claimed four wickets.
Ashwin did not feature in any of the Tests during India's tour of England in 2021, which India ended up drawing the series 2-2, after leading 2-1.
The 36-year-old will be seen playing in Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023 for Dindigul Dragons.
 "Vishal Mehra")
