CHENNAI: When R Ashwin landed in Guwahati with the Indian team on Thursday afternoon and the injured Axar Patel didn't, the murmurs began. With every passing hour, the anticipation only grew. In the end, the ICC confirmed that the ace off-spinner would be in the final 15.
Ever since India named their squad for the Asia Cup, and later the World Cup, the one question had been about the absence of an off-spinner. Former players and selectors were expressing their concerns. "Where was Ashwin," wasn't just a rhetorical question ahead of a home World Cup.
As fate would have it, Axar picked up an injury in Sri Lanka, and Ashwin, along with Washington Sundar, was added to the squad for the three-match series against Australia. Before joining the team, the Tamil Nadu off-spinner turned up for his club team MRC - A in a local 50-over game. Playing only his second ODI series in six years, Ashwin showed why he is still a class act with his performance in the second ODI against Australia in Indore. He outfoxed David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Josh Inglis with his variations — carrom ball, reverse carrom ball, etc. — finishing with 3/41 in seven overs.
Even as he made a mark in the first two games, Washington was given a chance in Rajkot and he too did well, bowling a quiet 0/48 in an innings where Australia posted 352/7. With both getting game-time and being with the team, while Axar was recovering at the National Cricket Academy, there were questions over what way the selectors would go.
After the third ODI, head coach Rahul Dravid had indicated that Axar was their first choice and it would stay that way barring any fitness-related change. "We have to wait for an official confirmation or a decision on that. The NCA is in touch with the selectors and Ajit (Agarkar) so I will not make any comments on that. If there is any change you will get to hear about it officially, as of now there are no changes," Dravid said in Rajkot.
With Axar expected to take a few weeks to fully recover from his left quadriceps strain, it became a direct toss-up between the two off-spinners. And the selectors have gone with the experienced Ashwin, who will be playing his third ODI World Cup, second at home. The other member to have tasted success in 2011 is Virat Kohli.
Ashwin has 155 wickets from 115 ODIs with an average of 33.2 and 4.94 next to his name and will be sharing the spin bowling duties with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. Now, the 37-year-old might not play all nine games for India with Shardul Thakur in the mix. However, if Ashwin takes the field on October 8 for the first time in a decade (in an ODI) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai during India's tournament opener against Australia, expect the home lad to get the biggest cheer.
