ENG vs IND 2022: 3 reasons why India not playing Ravichandran Ashwin was a wrong move

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the best off-spinners India have ever produced in Tests. However, when it comes to overseas tours, the off-spinner has often had to sit out for Ravindra Jadeja, who has been their first-choice spinner away from home.

Ahead of the one-off Test at Edgbaston, many theories circulated about how India could stop the new-look England batting line-up by playing both Ashwin and Jadeja. The surface seemed to have a bit in it for the fast bowlers but wasn't completely green.

So there were quite a few eyebrows raised when Ravichandran Ashwin didn't make the playing XI. The conditions were cloudy and perhaps that could have played a role in India going ahead with seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur instead of Ashwin.

However, five days later, the visitors have been absolutely thrashed by the hosts, who completed the highest successful run-chase against India in Tests. The ease with which England got to the 377-run target with seven wickets to spare was perhaps most disturbing for the Indians.

Albeit in hindsight, here are three reasons why not playing Ravichandran Ashwin was a tactically wrong decision by the team management:

---

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin's invaluable experience

Picking up 442 Test wickets is no fluke and Ravichandran Ashwin hasn't been a liability in typically seamer-friendly English conditions either. In seven Tests, he picked up 18 wickets at a decent average of 28.11.

India did have some moments in the Edgbaston Test where perhaps containing the flow of runs was more important than picking up wickets. Here's where Ashwin's experience could have come in more handy.

Jadeja did a decent job by bowling over the wicket and tying up Joe Root. But the former England skipper found a way to counter that as he unleashed an array of sweeps and reverse-sweeps.

Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj were expensive, and the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami simply didn't receive enough support.

---

#2 Shardul Thakur wasn't a suitable option for the conditions

There was very likely a toss-up between Ravichandran Ashwin and Thakur ahead of the Test as Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and Jadeja picked themselves. The visitors faced a similar conundrum last year when they had to pick between the two for the Oval Test.

On that occasion, they went with Thakur and reaped the rewards as the all-rounder slammed two fifties and took some crucial wickets to help India win. Almost a year later, however, a similar decision backfired rather spectacularly.

Thakur had an economy rate of 6.40 at Edgbaston and picked up just one wicket, which is a simply appalling return with the ball. He didn't do much with the bat either, failing to reach double digits in both innings. Looking at the flat pitch, perhaps Ashwin, who is also a capable batsman, may have been the better option.

---

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin could have been the answer to Root & Bairstow's carnage

This Test will be remembered for the twin hundreds from Jonny Bairstow. But that does not underline the fact that India were ahead in the game for almost three and a half days.

India won seven out of 13 sessions (as per Star Sports' metrics), but lost the game by seven wickets, which speaks a lot about their performance in the last two days.

England were 109/3 at one stage in the second innings and the visitors would have felt their chances of winning the game were suddenly higher. However, that wasn't to be as Root and Bairstow simply took the game away with their incredible unbeaten partnership of 269.

Both batters scored hundreds and played almost chanceless knocks. India had no answer as Thakur and Siraj continued to leak runs. With roughs being created on both sides of the wicket, picking two spinners was probably the way to go in hindsight. Ashwin could have certainly challeged both batters with the tricks he has up his sleeve.

While England will celebrate their historic win, it was once again a case of 'so near yet so far' for India. They have been left to ponder what could have been had they played Ravichandran Ashwin.