‘Ab bolke kya fayda bhai’ – Fans react as Sunil Gavaskar expresses displeasure over Ravi Ashwin’s exclusion from WTC 2023 final playing-XI

Australia defeated India in the second edition of the World Test Championship  (WTC) final on Sunday, June 11 at The Oval, in London. The exclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin remains the most talked about thing after the completion of the WTC final and many cricket experts have shown displeasure and asked the reason from the management for not including their number one bowler of WTC 2021-23 cycle in the most important fixture.

Moreover, it was the sixth consecutive match on the England soil that Ashwin is not part of. Former Indian opener, Sunil Gavaskar thinks that no other cricketer in India has been given harsh treatment like him.

“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 ICC-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 wrote in his latest column for Mid-Day.

With the bat too, he could have contributed: Sunil Gavaskar 

“This is not being wise after the event, but a pattern that has been seen over the years. But for this ‘hard to understand thinking’ he would have already played more than 100 Test matches. Even if India were to win, it should not blind us to the treatment given to Ashwin and whatever the explanation that is given, the bowling results in the match where India have been asked to chase 444 tells us that dropping him was not the right call to make,” the 73-year-old asserted.

Despite there being five left-hand batters in Australia’s batting line, Ashwin, who has played 92 Test matches in which he has snapped 474 wickets, was not included. He has also been excluded from India’s games in England in 2021 and 2022, with the stated reason being medical issues.

“India dropped Ravichandran Ashwin, the No.1 ranked bowler in the game, according to the ICC 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,” the right-hand batter stated.

“During that second innings effort, he also put on 93 runs with another left-hander Mitchell Starc at a time when India were looking to dismiss Australia cheaply in the second innings. If Ashwin had been in the team, who knows what could have happened? With the bat too, he could have contributed,” the English commentator concluded.

Here’s how fans reacted to Sunil Gavaskar’s statement:

India’s decision making is so frustrating. Kohli’s era’s worst decision was to drop raydu and chahal in respective tournaments but sharma did the same with chahal in t20 and ash in this match. Someone needs to investigate these calls because even a kid would make better call’s

— Ashmeet Mehta (@ashmeet_mehta) June 13, 2023

Ashwin is the best player india has. His contribution is highly underrated. Always gets wickets, makes crucial runs, smart, positively cunning. Still ignored.

— CA Manish Purohit (@iManishPurohit) June 13, 2023

Very very true… Why Pujara still in playing 11 ??? On what grounds is he still getting chances ? Don't say, he's capable of make a comeback, there is a limit and he's crossed that limit long time ago

— Bhanu Viswa (@Bhanu_Viswa) June 13, 2023

He can bat. Everyone forgot about his batting contributions. No.2 all rounder bcz of his best performance with important batting partnerships

— sureshumapathy (@sureshumapathy) June 13, 2023

REASON: DEBUT UNDER GOAT MSD! 🔥

— AARAV NAIR (@leftisrightnow_) June 13, 2023

Bhyii ab kya hi kr loge aage ka soch lo bs kardo jabse test test laga rakha h ho gaya jo hona tha bcci ko bolo yeh sab politics band krde aur chup chap team ko apne hisaab se khelne de

— yashika sharma (@yashikasharma5a) June 13, 2023

ye sab abhi tak kaha baate kar rahe hai?

— Tweeting Quarantino (@rohitadhikari92) June 13, 2023

Sunil Gavaskar thinks Ravi Ashwin is being treated unfairly. He says it's like leaving out the best player just because they didn't do well on a grassy pitch. That's cricket for you!

— LiuLiu Explains EveryThing (@ExplainLiuLiu) June 13, 2023