5 selection blunders that cost India in Test cricket in 2018

#2 Picking a half-fit Ravichandran Ashwin in Southampton (fourth Test in England)

Ashwin picked up only 3 wickets as he aggravated his groin injury.

Ravichandran Ashwin had an excellent start in England. He picked up seven wickets in the first Test at Edgbaston and bowled beautifully. He didn’t have any impact in the second Test as India lost by an innings. In the third Test, he bowled just one over and suffered a groin injury. However, he did come back to bowl close to 23 overs in the second innings and took the final wicket as India clinched the Test match at Trent Bridge.

Despite not recovering fully, Ashwin played the Southampton Test. While he fared decently in the first innings, it was his second innings performance that hurt India the most. Moeen Ali exploited the rough beautifully in the first innings and more of the same was expected from India’s premier off-spinner. But he aggravated his groin injury and wasn’t consistent. He returned with figures of 1/84 in 37.1 overs as England made 271 in their second innings.

India eventually went on to lose the Test match and the series and serious question marks were raised surrounding Ashwin’s selection.