India has ignored Ravichandran Ashwin for the ongoing World Test Championship final against Australia. He has taken 61 wickets in 13 games of the 2021-23 cycle of the tournament. Ashwin has been the third-highest wicket-taker in this cycle of two years. However, with the overcast conditions at The Oval in the ongoing Day One, the 2021 finalists won the toss and elected to bowl first.
At the toss, India skipper Rohit Sharma said that it was a tough decision to leave out Ashwin. The former added that the conditions on offer tempted them to go for four-seamers. The World Number One Test side has included Ravindra Jadeja as the sole spinner. In pace bowling, the likes of Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav will do the job.
“It is tough to leave Ashwin out. He has been a match-winner for us, it is not a great occasion to leave him out, but you have got to do what is best for the team in the given conditions,” says Rohit.
Australia Team
DA Warner, UT Khawaja, M Labuschagne, SPD Smith, TM Head, C Green, AT Carey (WK), MA Starc, PJ Cummins (C), NM Lyon, SM Boland
India Team
RG Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, CA Pujara, V Kohli, AM Rahane, KS Bharat (WK), RA Jadeja, SN Thakur, UT Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Ravichandran Ashwin is yet to play a Test in England after WTC 2021 final
Meanwhile, the fans aren’t impressed with the decision. Notably, since the last WTC final against New Zealand, Ashwin is yet to play a Test match in England. In the series against England in the UK in August-September 2021, the two-time World Champion didn’t play the four Tests. Last year, when the team returned to play the rescheduled fifth Test. Ashwin didn’t play.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing game, Siraj has taken the wicket of Usman Khawaja. At the time of writing, the Aussies have scored 16/1 in six overs.
This is how Twitter reacted
Ravichandran Ashwin not playing in WTC final. pic.twitter.com/xbagOrjXFz
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 7, 2023
Ravindra Jadeja is the spinner!
No Ravi Ashwin for India. pic.twitter.com/28IqeZsJjx
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 7, 2023
If India Loses, Rohit Sharma will be Blamed for not picking Ashwin
If India Wins, Kohli will be Blamed for picking Ashwin in WTC Final 2021 & not winning ICC Trophies
Had India picked Ashwin & Lost, Dhoni would be praised for picking right players at right time#WTCFinal2023 pic.twitter.com/hqWxnAT0xP— PRAKASH (@PRAKASHP4D7) June 7, 2023
Expected India XI except that Thakur is playing and Ashwin is out but I think conditions played a huge role here, we are going with 4 seamers and a spinner.
A good toss to win. Time for our bowlers to crack the new duke ball, Come on India ??
— Bhawana (@bhawnakohli5) June 7, 2023
Ashwin is the one of the main reason for India reaching the finals #WTCFinal2023 #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/mZjbuxT6oO
— NANI (@NAVINVJY) June 7, 2023
Rohit wins toss, chooses to field. Unsurprising given the overcast conditions. What surprising is Ashwin’s omission
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 7, 2023
Champions trophy final 20th over pressure situation and still Ashwin smiling ?
Yeh banda itna pressure situation main kese itna cool and calm rehe sakta hai kuch Hume bhi sikha do Ashwin Anna ? @ashwinravi99 #RavichandranAshwin pic.twitter.com/MooXCWupU4— Dhrubojyoti Roy (@ItsRahulRoy19) June 5, 2023
Great fun to have a Test played on neutral ground. Oval buzzing as it fills up. India bowling, Ashwin left out pic.twitter.com/5P0PkD0AFU
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 7, 2023
Ravi Ashwin is the No. 1 Test bowler in the world but he's not in the playing XI for India today. Just shows the sacrifice a professional cricketer has to make and how important it is for the team to select the right combination looking at the conditions. #WTCFinal
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) June 7, 2023
Help team India to reach final and got benched in WTC final game. #INDvsAUS #Ashwin #AUSvIND #AUSvsIND #WTCFinal pic.twitter.com/6rtYMmon08
— Nilesh Shekhar (@ns_the_chaser) June 7, 2023
