Did India err in omitting R Ashwin from the WTC final against New Zealand?

India’s decision to leave out R Ashwin questioned by experts

Introduction

India’s decision to drop Ravichandran Ashwin from their playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand has led to widespread criticism from experts. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, former India captain Sachin Tendulkar, former India player Sanjay Manjrekar, and former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, are among those who have expressed their surprise at the decision.

The Experts’ Views

Speaking on television commentary, Ricky Ponting said Ashwin’s record against Australia and the nature of The Oval track would have made him a valuable player in the game, especially with Australia having four left-hand batters in the top seven. According to Ponting, “Australia have many left-handers; Ashwin would trouble the left-handers more than Jadeja. I saw the grass, yes there was grass but the deeper I looked, it seemed dry to me”.

Sachin Tendulkar also believed that highly-skilled bowlers like Ashwin had the potential to take pitches out of the equation, so it was worth India taking a punt on him. He said, “If they are able to get that drift, they can make the ball talk in the air without the pitch coming into play. So, The Oval is going to be good venue for India.”

Sanjay Manjrekar echoed Ponting’s views on the surface, saying, “There’s clearly a green look to it [pitch], but the soil underneath looked white to suggest there’s some dryness as well, and The Oval historically has never been a seaming pitch.” He was surprised at Ashwin’s omission and cited his success against Australia as one of the reasons why he should have been included in the team.

Brad Haddin, Manjrekar’s co-panelist on Match Day, felt the absence of a fierce competitor like Ashwin in a contest as big as this may put “massive pressure” on India‘s four-pronged pace attack. According to Haddin, “He [Ashwin] loves playing against [Australia], gets into the contest. I know he gets under the skin of the Australian batsmen. One of the big successes India have had over Australia has been due to Ashwin’s presence. They’ll miss him out there and the pressure is on four quicks to put pressure on that middle order.”

India’s Possible Reasoning

With Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami picking themselves, and India seemingly intent on playing Shardul Thakur for the all-round depth he lends alongside Ravindra Jadeja, it was between Umesh Yadav and Ashwin for the final spot and India went with the former.

It is possible that India was influenced by their previous experience of playing in the WTC final in 2021, where they fielded three seamers and two spinners, while New Zealand played four specialist seamers and had a fifth option in allrounder Colin de Grandhomme, which proved to be a disastrous decision. According to Sanjay Manjrekar, “It was a venue where seam bowlers had to bowl. New Zealand had five seam options. I believe you have to look at the history of a certain venue and a pitch rather than how a pitch looks on day one.”

Despite this possible reasoning, however, Ashwin’s ability to turn the game in India’s favour and his proven track record against Australia makes his absence from the playing XI a questionable one.

Editorial and Advice

India’s decision to leave out Ashwin from their playing XI is a questionable one, especially given his proven track record against Australia and his ability to turn the game in India’s favour. While India’s experience of playing in the WTC final in 2021 may have influenced their decision to go with four seamers, it is important to remember that each game is unique and requires a tailored selection strategy.

India should draw on the opinions of experts like Ponting, Tendulkar, Manjrekar, and Haddin, who have all expressed their surprise at Ashwin’s omission. India should also remember that playing in the WTC final is a high-stakes game, and they need all hands on deck to ensure victory.

In future, India should pay closer attention to their selection strategy, especially for high-stakes games like the WTC final, and make sure that they are selecting the best possible team to give themselves the best chance of success.