India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been in and out of the playing XI for a while and has reached a stage where he is neither taking wickets nor containing the flow of runs. Even with the bat, he has not been able to score runs consistently.
At this juncture, the Indian team management is playing Axar Patel ahead of Ashwin, but it’s not clear what the motive is behind keeping Ashwin out of the playing XI.
Even in the last World Cup, Ashwin was inducted into the playing XI later on during the tournament. That time, India’s choice was leggie Piyush Chawla and the reason given was that the young spinner needed time to settle down comfortably into the team.
Does this logic apply even now as Axar has become a top choice for the team in the tri-series? Or is it part of the experiment of trying out different combinations ahead of the all-important tournament – which gets underway next month?
Questions are being raised on what kind of role Ashwin will play in the World Cup. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner does have the guile to fox top-rated batsmen of the world. It remains to be seen if the team also shares the same sentiments or not.
From what it appears, Ravindra Jadeja could be India’s first-choice spinner in the tournament. The slot for the second spinner is still open. Right now, Axar is enjoying the maximum support of his team because he can apply brakes on the opposition’s free flow of runs.
Yes, he is not able to score runs as per the expectations, but team management is confident of his ability. So, where does Ashwin stand today?
