‘Sunny spitting too many facts these days’ -Fans react as Sunil Gavaskar says India made a mistake by benching R Ashwin in 2023 WTC final

India suffered a crushing defeat of 209 runs at the hands of Australia in the World Test Championship final (WTC) at the Oval. Sunil Gavaskar tore into the Indian management for not picking Ravichandran Ashwin in the WTC final. Ashwin has picked up 470 wickets in Test cricket for India. Ashwin was third on the list in terms of wickets for India when it came to the 2021-23 WTC cycle. The off-spinner has been a beast in particular against left-handers.

India picked up four fast bowlers instead of the three-seamer-two-spinner lineup. India’s third and fourth seamers in Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur picked up two wickets in each innings to record a poor showing. “India dropped Ravichandran Ashwin, the No. 1 ranked bowler in the game, according to the rankings. The Australians had five left-handers in the team and while one leftie – Travis Head – scored a quickfire century in the first innings, another southpaw Alex Carey got a 48 in the first innings and an unbeaten 66 in the second. During that second innings effort, he also put on 93 runs with another left-hander Mitchell Starc at a time when India was looking to dismiss Australia cheaply in the second innings,” Gavaskar wrote on Mid-Day.

If Ashwin would have been in the team, the result would have been different for India- Sunil Gavaskar

“If Ashwin had been in the team, who knows what could have happened. With the bat too, he could have contributed. No other top-class Indian cricketer in the modern era has been treated as bafflingly as Ashwin has been. Tell me if there was a No. 1-ranked batter in the team, would he have been left out of the playing XI just because in earlier times he had not got runs on a grassy pitch or if he had not scored runs on a dry spin-friendly pitch? Definitely not,” Gavaskar added.

Ashwin has been on the bitter end of the stick under the present regime and also the regime which played under the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri duo. Ashwin’s omission has come at a time when he has had a reasonable record in overseas Tests for India picking up 18 wickets in the 2021-2023 WTC cycle. When India  and England played a Test series in England in 2021, Ashwin did not play a single game in that series.

Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:

We have different rules for batters and bowlers. Ash doesn't have abs or tattoos. Not a part of big IPL franchise. Weak PR team. Less dramatic in his interviews and on social media. And most importantly we only worship batters here in India. I hope this justifies his exclusion.

— Vinay Chipkar (@vinay_chipkar) June 13, 2023

Absolutely right…n ..TRUE…hw cld u prefer Umesh over Ash…no ..Ash skill level n talent n novelty hs match dt ws Absolutely blunder choosing Umesh over Ash n fielding first despite so strong batting line up….2 runs on board….!!!!

— Dipak Supekar (@DipakSupekar2) June 13, 2023

Sunil Gavaskar toh Kapil Dev ki against baat kar rhe hai, Kapil Dev ne toh kaha tha ki zarurat parne par No. 1 batter or bowler ko bhi drop kara ja sakta hai so drop kara R. Ashwin ko aur match complete ho gaya ab yeh sab bolke kya faida… On to the nxt series

— Ayush (@AyushSarkar2001) June 13, 2023

We need to address the batting failures. It's never been strong in the last 2 cycles. Time and again it's failed. I haven't seen Indian batting fight in the 4th innings of any test match. It's always a given they will lose.

— Sahil C. (@JaySapp12) June 13, 2023

Everyone knew inside Australia has more chances to win this one because conditions were favourable for them..and they won. Most of the experts also predicted Aus to win.. So why every1 passing these type of statements now.

— 𝑨𝒏𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈 𝑲𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 (@AnuragKhare31) June 13, 2023

I’m convinced the Indian team/selectors don’t like him. I get he’s divisive/controversial at times, but he’s one of the best all rounders in world cricket. The fact he wasn’t playing blows my mind.

— Glyn (@gpowell87) June 13, 2023

Why dint u ask the same question during 2021 England series?? Just because we lost all these statements come?. Btw his replacement shardul thakur contributed better than many other players in Indian team

— Bhuvantej R (@BhuvantejR) June 13, 2023

The same Gavaskar Ji would have opined different way if Ashwin goes for wicketless and scores no runs in the WTC final due to grassy pitch 😎

— Nellore Peddha Reddy (@urstrulyktr) June 13, 2023

Umesh Yadav selection it self puzzled many.. neither bowling nor batting what for he is in the team? Had Ashwin played would’ve different game altogether..

— Vijaykumar Chepyala (@vkchepyala) June 13, 2023

I've never seen Sunil Gavaskar so frustrated till this date!!! He probably knew just like many others this was a golden opportunity for India to beat Australia having got the mental edge over them the past few years! That first day performance always put them on the backfoot

— Troll cricket unlimitedd (@TUnlimitedd) June 13, 2023