Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the selection policies of the team management. The team’s think tank had dropped Ravichandran Ashwin on the tour of the West Indies. This was the first time in Ashwin’s career when he was part of the team’s squad but he could not get a place in the playing XI.
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Consequently, the Little Master believes Ravichandran Ashwin should be backed in the Test team. Ashwin has been a consistent performer for the Indian team and it was a surprise to see his exclusion. In fact, this was not the first time when the team management flummoxed everyone with their selection strategy.
The team needs to be consistent with selection policies.
“You don’t become ICC’s No. 1 Test bowler for nothing. He has the ability to pick wickets anywhere in the world. The team management has to understand this and back him,” Gavaskar said while talking to the official broadcasters.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was also dropped from the playing XI despite the fact that he had scalped seven wickets in the first Test match against South Africa in 2018.
The team has committed some selection blunders and they should back their consistent players in the side.
“I remember last year in South Africa Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up a lot of wickets in the first Test, he really swung the ball but he was dropped for the next Test. Murali Vijay too I believe should have been given a longer run.
“Selection has to be in such a way that the confidence of the player is not down. I mean there may be communication inside the dressing room which we are certainly not aware,” Gavaskar said.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli is known to chop and change his playing XI. Kohli had played a different playing XI in the first 38 Test matches he went on to lead.
Meanwhile, India is in a commanding position after stumps on Day 1 of the first Test match against South Africa. The hosts have scored 202 runs without any damage in the wickets column. Rohit Sharma bagged his opportunity with both hands to open as he is unbeaten at 115 runs whereas Mayank Agarwal is batting on 84 runs.