Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the top-ranked all-rounders in the ICC Test Rankings for All-rounders at the moment. However, the Indian cricket team did not include him in their playing XI for the first two Test matches of the series against England. Now, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes the visitors seemingly missed a trick by not picking R Ashwin.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Danish Kaneria said that the Indian cricket team could have even made 200 a difficult target for their opponents if they had Ravichandran Ashwin’s spin available. The pitch at Lord’s is helping the spin bowlers now. Yesterday, Moeen Ali picked up the wickets of Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and the in-form Ravindra Jadeja to give England the momentum.
Even English skipper Joe Root bowled a few overs of off-spin and tried to take a wicket but he was unsuccessful. Pointing out how English spinners bowled at Lord’s, Danish Kaneria said:
“I was telling several times how crucial the role of a spinner would be on this pitch. If India had Ashwin, even chasing 200 would have been difficult for England. Moeen Ali picked up a couple of wickets and it is there for everyone to see,” Danish Kaneria said.
Why did India not pick R Ashwin in their playing XI for the Lord’s Test?
Many fans were surprised when India did not pick Ravichandran Ashwin in their playing XI for the Lord’s Test. Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur picked up an injury. Hence, he was unavailable to play in the second Test. To replace him, an all-rounder like Ashwin could have been a great choice.
However, India preferred to include specialist fast bowler Ishant Sharma in the playing XI. Ishant had taken seven wickets in the second innings of the Lord’s Test match in 2014. Indian fans will hope for a similar performance from Ishant.
