WTC 2023: Master Blaster Tendulkar Slams India’s Team Selection, – “I Fail To Understand Exclusion…”

It is a hard time for the Indian cricket team as its lost the World Test Championship (WTC) title to Australia. After the defeat, the legendary and veteran cricket sensation, Sahin Tendulkar found that off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s exclusion from the Indian squad for the WTC final baffling, as a spinner of his calibre, doesn’t need conducive conditions to be effective.

Australia defeats India by 209 runs in WTC, Sachin Tendulkar reacts

Australia has defeated India by 209 runs in the WTC final and Ashwin’s absence from XI was defended by coach Rahul Dravid, who said that overcast conditions forced them to pick a fourth specialist seamer, even though the opposition line-up comprised five left-handers. During the entire test championship, there was bright sunshine on all five days and Australia raced to 469 in the first innings, which made India to be in a tough spot to win.

Also Read: “We Fought Hard But Congratulations To Australia,” Rohit Sharma

‘I fail to understand the exclusion of Ashwin’

Taking to Twitter, the master blaster, Tendulkar wrote, ” India had to bat big in the first innings to stay in the game, but they couldn’t. There were some good moments for Team India, but I fail to understand the exclusion of Ashwin in the playing XI, who is currently the number one Test bowler in the world.”

Moreover, a big surprise for the legendary cricketer was when he found it difficult to believe that a bowler of Ashwin’s calibre can’t be used in conditions which are seamer-friendly.

“Like I had mentioned before the match, skilful spinners don’t always rely on turning tracks, they use drift in the air and bounce off the surface to disguise their variations. Not to forget, Australia had 5 left-handers out of their top 8 batters.” For the record, Ashwin has picked up 61 wickets in 13 Tests in the two-year cycle of the second WTC edition.