It has been two weeks since Ravichandran Ashwin experienced the devastating exclusion from the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval. Despite his status as India’s leading wicket-taker in the second WTC cycle and the ICC’s top-ranked Test bowler, Ashwin was excluded from the team in favour of an additional seamer.
Despite his impressive credentials, including being India’s leading wicket-taker in the WTC cycle and top-ranked bowler in ICC Test rankings, Ashwin was surprisingly overlooked. The decision to sideline him and opt for an extra pacer has faced significant backlash for its impact on India’s performance in the final match.
Shortly after India’s second consecutive loss in the WTC final, Ashwin took to Twitter, sharing an explosive post that he later clarified was his way of seeking ‘closure’ regarding the situation. The emotional outburst from the talented cricketer highlighted the disappointment and frustration he felt due to his omission from such a crucial match.
Ashwin’s contributions throughout the WTC cycles have been exceptional. Of his career total of 474 wickets, an impressive 132 were taken during his participation in the two WTC cycles, making him the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history. In the 2021/23 cycle alone, Ashwin claimed 61 wickets, the highest by an Indian player and the third-highest overall.
Furthermore, Ashwin’s batting prowess, evident from his five Test centuries, adds to his value as a versatile player. But he was still ignored by captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid and the decision has raised eyebrows within the cricketing community.
The experienced cricketer has recently shared details about the emotional hardships he and his family have endured throughout the years. He disclosed that his father is a heart patient, and the stress caused by such incidents as his omission from crucial matches takes a toll on his father’s health.
“The moment, the final finished I put out a tweet because I realised one thing is that I need closure. The moment I get the closure I can move on. There is no time to hang around. I have understood life a lot better now,” said Ashwin while talking to the Indian Express.
“The more I see it, the kind of trauma toll it takes on my family is incredible. My father has a heart problem and other issues. Every single game, every single day, something happens, he will call me. He is stressed. It’s very easy for me to go out and play because it is still in my control. For my father, it is not and he goes through double of what I do. So looking at this in hindsight, everybody on the outside is irrelevant,” Ashwin added.
