Aakash Chopra has come out in support of Rohit Sharma and India’s team selection for the World Test Championship Final. According to him, it was highly unlikely that they would have opted to include off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing XI, instead preferring to go with a lineup consisting of four seamers.
On Wednesday, India’s bowling unit comprising of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur faced difficulties as they conceded 327 runs for the loss of three wickets. Observing their challenges, several experts criticized the decision to exclude Ashwin from the team, suggesting that his diverse bowling techniques and effectiveness against Australia’s left-handed batsmen could have been valuable at the Oval.
Aakash Chopra defends India’s team selection
Aakash Chopra mentioned that given India’s inclination to choose bowling first, possibly due to the green pitch on the first day, and considering Ravindra Jadeja’s role in the team over the past two years, Ashwin wasn’t deserving of a spot in the playing XI.
“Once India decided to bowl first (in case, India won the toss), there was no way they would’ve played Ashwin. Four seamers was the right way to go. And Jadeja has got the nod over Ash in almost all overseas Tests in this cycle…so, how and why did you expect anything different this time?” Chopra tweeted.
Once India decided to bowl first (in case, India won the toss), there was no way they would’ve played Ashwin. Four seamers was the right way to go. And Jadeja has got the nod over Ash in almost all overseas Tests in this cycle…so, how and why did you expect anything different…
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) June 7, 2023
On the other hand, Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia, expressed his opinion that India required Ashwin in the team on this particular pitch due to the potential significant turn it could offer during the last two days of the match. Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, labeled it as a “major error,” while Sourav Ganguly, India’s former captain, stated that if he were in charge, he would have retained Ashwin in the playing XI.
Responding to Chopra’s tweet, journalist Anand Vasu raised a question about whether Umesh Yadav, who conceded 3.9 runs per over on Day 1, deserved a place in the team over Ashwin, who currently holds the top spot in the ICC Test rankings, purely based on skill and quality.
Four seamers yes, if you had Bumrah and perhaps Ishant of old. But, these four, seriously?
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) June 7, 2023
Then bat first…play two spinners. Bowl in the 4th innings. If you’re bowling first, you play 4 seamers…it’s the logical thing to do.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) June 7, 2023
“Then bat first…play two spinners. Bowl in the 4th innings. If you’re bowling first, you play 4 seamers…it’s the logical thing to do,” Chopra replied.
In order to change the course of the game, India will require a flurry of wickets on Day 2. If not, Pat Cummins and the rest of the Australian team will set a target that could make a draw the most favorable outcome for the previous World Test Championship runners-up.
