Ashish Ranjan
Ravichandran Ashwin has finally spoken out about his omission from the Indian playing XI for the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia. Ashwin was not nominated for the “crucial” match because seam all-rounder Shardul Thakur was preferred. India ultimately fell by a score of 209 runs and dropped their second consecutive WTC final.
Several former cricketers questioned Ashwin’s omission from the playing eleven and deemed it a tactical error following their team’s loss. However, the off-spinner describes it as a hiccup in his career, not a setback.
“This is not an impediment for me. It’s just an obstacle; I’ll move on because I’ve already overcome it. When someone strikes you down for the first time, you react instinctively. Ashwin told the Indian Express and Hindu, “I believe you should be knocked down periodically throughout your life so that you become accustomed to it and learn how to recover.”
Ashwin further reflected on the game, stating that he would have liked to play because he helped India reach the final. In addition, he stated that since 2018, his overseas record has been outstanding as he has won games for his team.
“I would have loved to play because I contributed to our success.” Even in the most recent final, I took four wickets and bowled exceptionally. Since the 2018-2019 season, my bowling overseas has been outstanding, and I have won games for the team. I am looking at it as a commander or coach, and I am speaking in their defense in hindsight.
The last time we played in England, the score was 2-2 with a drawn Test, and they likely believed that four pacers and one spinner is the optimal combination in England. They may have believed this going into the final,” he added.
Notably, Ashwin participated in the WTC final 2021 against New Zealand, where he tied for the most wickets taken for India. The 36-year-old took two wickets in each innings and completed the match with 4 for 45 off 25 deliveries, including ten maidens.
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Shardul Thakur and Ishant Sharma were selected ahead of him for the five-match away Test series against England in 2021-22, despite his impressive performance in the final. He finished the last WTC cycle 2021-23 as the third-highest wicket-taker with 61 scalps in 13 matches, ranking him third overall.
Ashwin has the highest average among the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries in England, where he has taken 18 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 28.11. Despite his impressive statistics, he’s been left out of the starting lineup because he doesn’t fit into the team’s preferred playing formation.
