Former India Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the Indian team management for not including the veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval. In his column for the Mid Day on Monday, Gavaskar wrote about this where he shared the number of left-handers that Australia had and just the kind of impact Ashwin could have made because of his stunning record against them as well.

Sunil Gavaskar wrote: “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.”In Ashwin’s case, despite being the No. 1 bowler, he is not always the first spinner to be brought on.”

“Why Pujara attempted a ramp shot is hard to understand for that is not a shot he employs regularly. To even try it two deliveries after Rohit was out was also questioning the thinking at the time. Pujara is known for his patience and willingness to take blows, but keep occupying the crease so why on earth did he look to play that shot when runs were not the need but preserving wickets was essential,” Sunil Gavaskar concluded.