Ravichandran Ashwin somehow finds a way to sneak into the Indian World Cup squads out of nowhere and again manages to do so.
Ravichandran Ashwin somehow finds a way to sneak into the Indian World Cup squads out of nowhere and again manages to do so. Axar Patel has failed to recover in time, and Ravichandran Ashwin, who impressed in the first two ODIs against Australia, has replaced him in the final team. It will be Ashwin’s third World Cup, second in India.
The question is, how and why is Ravichandran Ashwin included in the squad at the eleventh hour? There has been ample talk about the process from the team management, but they don’t follow it themselves. Be it Mohammed Shami’s inclusion in the T20 World Cup 2022 or Ravichandran Ashwin’s selection now, Rahul Dravid and Co. have perennially preferred the out-of-flavour players for the global events.
Let’s have a look at the pros of this late selection. The most prominent reason is the variety in the spin department. The World Cup will happen in India, where the spinners naturally have a say in almost every game.
Even on the good batting tracks, the spinners will be in the game, at least in the first innings. The wear and tear of the pitch after the 50 overs might slow down the deck and assist the tweakers with a relatively old ball during the second dig as well. India had Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as lead spinners in the original squad.
It was not a multi-dimensional attack, with Jadeja and Axar providing the same value, not in terms of returns but based on the variety. Both are stronger against the RHBs but struggle comparatively against the southpaws. Axar, in particular, was mediocre against the LHBs, as his solitary wicket in 185 balls since 2022 depicts.
Also Read: Mystery behind viral picture of unknown hand on Rishabh Pant’s shoulder solved
While Kuldeep Yadav has found success against the left-handers, he has also bowled quick and full against them at times. He will always be a better bowler against the RHBs.
In Ashwin, India get one of the best spinners against the LHBs, irrespective of the format. He is a wizard with the ball in outclassing the southpaws. Ashwin will always enjoy bowling the left-handers, no matter how bad his form is.
Moreover, Ashwin showed improved skillsets against the right-handers in the Australia series. The way he countered Marnus Labuschagne must have inspired confidence. He has developed that lethal carrom ball that goes straight or turns a touch away, which Ashwin used precisely to dismiss Labuschagne. He has always been a shrewd operator, and with the added variations, Ashwin can be a giant on the slow tracks.
Moreover, Axar’s bowling has barely been convincing in the ODIs, particularly this year. His lengths have been sprayed all over the pitch and failed to bowl a set line consistently. His modus operandi hasn’t been ideal for the 50-over format.
The recent performances against Australia must also have played a significant role in Ashwin’s selection. While Rahul Dravid exclaimed that the series wasn’t a World Cup trial for him, the convincing shows in the first two games must have boosted his chances because India did have the option in Washington Sundar. The team must have gauged Axar’s injury, so Ashwin came for the trials despite hardly featuring in this version in the last few years. The team also tried to fly Ashwin to Colombo for the Asia Cup final, but his fitness resulted in Sundar’s inclusion.
There are also certain drawbacks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s inclusion in the World Cup squad. The biggest is a lack of consistency in the player selection process. Washington Sundar has featured in 17 ODI games in the previous two years, while Ashwin has only four games in this timeframe. Ideally, Sundar was ahead in the pecking order and had reasonably good bowling numbers.
In 14 innings, Sundar has 15 wickets at an average of 27.86 while snaring a wicket every 34.40 balls since 2022. His economy rate of 4.86 is also impressive. Even on the flat track of Rajkot, Washington went for under five an over and was the best Indian bowler in the third ODI against Australia.
His off-breaks were also coming out nicely from his hands, and his line of attack was also middle and outside the middle stump line. The Australian batters struggled to attack him, and his bowling against the right-handers was skilful. Sundar has actually been more lethal against the right-handers despite being an off-spinner in this format.
Ashwin didn’t play after two abysmal outings against South Africa earlier last year. That was also a surprise selection from the management, given Ashwin’s record in ODIs of late. While he has improved as a bowler, Ashwin doesn’t have consistent performances or enough game time in the format to justify his picking for the biggest carnival.
In the second ODI against Australia, where Ashwin picked up three wickets, the track did offer help for the slow bowlers. While it doesn’t take anything away from Ashwin and his skillsets, he can’t be judged completely based on that performance. In fact, Ashwin can’t be included just because of a few random performances in a series before the World Cup. Washington Sundar has done more with the ball, and while he might not be as skilled as Ashwin, Sundar is also a fine ODI bowler, as was visible in the third rubber.
The batting depth also reduces significantly with Ravichandran Ashwin in the team. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are way ahead of Ashwin as a batter. Sundar’s knock as an opener in the final game does not change this fact.
Ashwin can hold the bat and chip in with crucial runs, but he is not an attacking batter who can find the ropes consistently. At best, Ashwin can partner with a quick-scorer, but his batting expertise is less than the other two spinners.
Ravindra Jadeja’s batting form in the past two years has been shocking, which has also compelled India to persist with Shardul Thakur. Thakur provides that cushion in the lower order and also some firepower in the lower order. While Thakur might not have proved it in this format yet, he is a capable hitter with the willow.
On a turning track, Axar would have played ahead of Thakur, and Axar’s batting form has been among the best in the last couple of years. He has improved massively against the pacers, and Washington Sundar is also a capable batter. But Ashwin can’t be banked upon to provide quick runs; he’s never been a power hitter.
So the batting lineup ends with Hardik Pandya at No. 6, putting more pressure on the specialist batters to perform almost every time. None of them can afford to have an off-day with Jadeja and Ashwin in the team.
All in all, Ravichandran Ashwin’s inclusion seems recency bias after his performances in the two matches against Australia. It’s baffling to select someone for such a massive tournament with very little recent experience. However, Ashwin does have the skillsets to perform with the ball in the World Cup, especially in the right conditions. Can India find the sweet spot to include him in the final XI?
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
