England vs India 4th Test: A few days ago Ravichandran Ashwin had shared pictures on social media where he was seen batting at net practices. He was seen doing a cover drive in one picture and was seen leaving the ball in the other. The highlight was that he was seen practising with his left hand. He had also tweeted that his desire to learn something new every day is never ending.
On Thursday at the time of the toss, Indian captain Virat Kohli once again that Ashwin, the fourth Indian bowler to take the most wickets in Test cricket, is not in the Top 5 list of bowlers to play against England at the Oval. Ravindra Jadeja, who took just two wickets in the last three Tests, was once again preferred over Ashwin.
Kohli said, "We felt that Jadeja is more suitable for the situation. Right now there is a place for a left-hander in the team and he is balancing the team at this time as a batsman."
However, Kohli's statement has not gone down well amongst cricket pundits and former cricketers. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said, "The non-selection of Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the biggest 'NON Selections' we have ever witnessed across the four Tests in the UK. 413 Test wickets and five Test centuries, madness." Mark Waugh, who generally does not make controversial remarks, replied, "Wondering if the Indian team has anything planned."
A former Indian cricketer who heard Kohli's decision to keep Ashwin out at the time of the toss commented, "Did he just say that Ravindra Jadeja is better than R Ashwin in front of four seasoned batsmen?" "Take a look at Jadeja's bowling. Are you sure you would be able to score enough to let him control the match till Day 4 or 5?" he asked.
Sunil Gavaskar, who supports the presence of an additional batsman on the field, said he would support the team since the time it would be announced and not give his opinion until the result was out. It is difficult to speculate on the outcome of the test. India may win, but the Captain Kohli's thought process has certainly sparked a debate. It is firmness for his supporters, but adamance for his critics.
It is difficult to understand how a bowler who has taken six wickets in a county match can be excluded on a spinner-friendly pitch. Ashwin is no less of a spinner than Jadeja in any way. They are bearing the brunt of the failure of the middle order batsmen.
Jadeja has scored 133 runs in the series till date while Ajinkya Rahane has scored 95 runs in three Tests. Captain Kohli has not scored a single century in four Tests (including the World Test Championship final) in England this session. He scored his last Test century against Bangladesh in November 2019.