Ravichandran Ashwin: Personality, Experience, Talent! Is Ashwin being sidelined despite everything?

by time news

Ravi Ashwin

In the Border-Gavaskar series, the Indian team is playing with great enthusiasm. The Australian team could not show this much dominance. At a time like this, all the criticisms and questions should have been aimed at the Australian team. But the events that are taking place are throwing questions at the Indian team on the contrary.

The Indian team was initially announced only for the first two matches of this four-match Border-Gavaskar series. Rohit is the captain and Rahul is the vice-captain. A team led by them. Now that two matches have been completed, the team for the next two matches has been announced. Rohithan is the captain for this too. It should be noted here that this team does not have a vice-captain. Yes, Rahul has been stripped of his vice-captaincy. His poor form is a major reason for that. Rahul’s place in the playing XI has also come into question as he has been removed from the post of vice-captain.

Ravi Ashwin

But, it is not Rahul or his form that needs to be discussed here. The important thing to ask is why the vice-captain was not announced for this Indian team. Is there no one else in the team apart from Rahul who deserves to be the vice-captain? Gill, Shreyas, Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav may have thought that such players should not be taken into account as they are inexperienced.

But beyond these seniors like Ashwin, Jadeja, Pujara are also notable, could one of them have been given the post of vice-captain? Among these three, especially our Tamil Nadu player Ashwin is fully deserving of that vice-captain post!

We can easily categorize Ravichandran Ashwin as a ‘Think Tank’ unlike the usual players. We can realize this from his bowling style. He knows the trick of getting the batter out without anyone’s guidance. He automatically thinks of many ways and tries, loses, tries again and again and finally wins. He doesn’t need much help from the pitch. The weather doesn’t matter. No need for spell bowlers to cooperate with and set for wickets. Even without any of these he can perform well.

Ashwin

Remember the variation and impact he has shown in seam positions for Labuschagne and Smith even in the current series. Therein lies the answer to why I call Ashwin a Think Tank.

Apart from his bowling skills, he has also contributed effectively to India as a Test batsman. Needless to say, his patient defensive innings has saved the team from many defeats. The data will tell you that Ashwin is definitely a better all-round batsman if it comes to ODIs, T20s, but Tests.

As a personality, he stands up for the team and fights without compromise. Above all he has always had great faith in the impossible. He has no intention of taking any challenge lightly. We have seen this many times. Not only is he talented but even after 10 years he is still playing vigorously for the Indian team. This experience alone can be given special value.

However, the answer is no if Ashwin has achieved the recognition he deserves. If there is a vacancy in the captaincy Ashwin can be considered for that position without doubt. But the Indian team management has never done so. Ashwin made his debut when Dhoni was the captain of the Indian team. It was no big deal that Ashwin was not moved towards the captaincy as Kohli was already certain to be the next captain. After that, Kohli became the captain. Rahane is vice-captain to Kohli. This is also an acceptable alliance without much criticism.

Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

But the fact that the management did not move Ashwin towards the captaincy even after the end of this alliance is what prompts criticism.

When Rahane was stripped of his vice-captaincy due to his continued poor form, he was replaced by Rohit Sharma. Kohli returned to India with the first match of the last Border Gavaskar series and Rahane was the captain for the subsequent matches… even then they made Rohit the vice-captain of the team. The funny thing about this is that Rohit Sharma was never a permanent pick of the Indian Test team during the Border-Gavaskar series. Till then he was an unproven player abroad. He was seen as a test batsman with a whiteball hang over. Even so, they moved Rohit towards the captaincy without any hesitation. Well, if we look at Ashwin after Kohli’s captaincy is over, that’s not the case either. Even then they made Rohit the captain and Rahul the vice-captain.

Now Rahul has been removed from the post. Now if you expect them to come to Ashwin without any other option, that didn’t happen either. There are reports that the management has given Rohit the responsibility of selecting the vice-captain of the team for this series. It is doubtful whether Rohit himself will tick Ashwin.

Ashwin

It may seem that nothing can stop a bowler from moving towards the captaincy of the team. But having a bowler at the helm is nothing new for India. Even the recent selectors and management had seen Bumrah as the captain. Can anyone deny that Ashwin deserves the captaincy better than Bumrah? So, what is the reluctance to move Ashwin towards that captaincy?

Looking at all this, one cannot help but feel that Ashwin is being sidelined in spite of his personality, talent and experience.

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