When off-spinner R Ashwin was excluded from India’s playing XI for the first Test against England in Nottingham, a lot of people went on to criticize the team selection. Ashwin was one of the better bowlers for India in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand as he scalped three wickets in the match.

R Ashwin also did a county stint with Surrey ahead of the ongoing Test series against England where he picked a five-wicket haul. Even for the Lord’s Test, Ashwin was all set to play the game but the overhead conditions led to the inclusion of Ishant Sharma. While India managed to script a historic win at Lord’s in the 2nd Test with the help of their pace-bowling line-up, former Indian wicket-keeper batsman, Farokh Engineer wants Ashwin to be included in the team for the Leeds Test.

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During a recent interview on Sports Tak, Farokh Engineer said, “The thing is Ashwin was due to play at Lord’s, from what I have heard. I am not privy to inside information of team tactics. But it rained, conditions became cloudy. But at one time we may have been thinking should we have played R Ashwin. At Headingley, we should play three pacers and Ashwin. Because we will get more variety. Don’t forget, Ashwin is a very good all-rounder.”

He further elaborated, “He is a world class-bowler, but also he is also a very good batsman. We need fighters like him in the team. So, I’d say yes R Ashwin should be in the team. At who’s expense, we don’t know. But because it’s a good problem for selctors to have. That we have got all. That we have got 12 or 14, and all 14 are good enough to beat England.”

Farokh Engineer, though, maintained that India would still have to look at the conditions at Headingley before finalizing the playing XI for the Headingley Test. 

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Engineer explained, “Again, depending on the wicket. In the rain of the past, England used to prepare greener pitches to suit their fast bowlers, but now India have better openers than England, so they cannot afford to make green pitches, so they will shoot themselves in the foot again.”