R Ashwin Dismisses Sunil Gavaskar's Past Criticism On Team India's Selection Policy As 'Childish Thinking'

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India took a significant gamble during the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 that didn't yield favourable results. They decided to drop Ravichandran Ashwin, the world's top-ranked test bowler and their leading wicket-taker for the WTC 2021-23 cycle, from the clash. Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian batsman, strongly criticized this decision and expressed his bewilderment at the unfair treatment in his column for Mid-Day. This wasn't the first time Gavaskar passionately advocated for Ashwin's inclusion in the Test team.

The Legend of R Ashwin grows _

- Made Non-Strikers Run Out Cool Again
- Pioneered the Retired Out
- 2 Reviews in the Same Ball _
- Bowls Off Spin
- Bowls the Carrom Ball
- Bowls Leg Spin
- Pauses action during run-up and plays mind games
- Opens the Batting
- Bats at #3_ https://t.co/LN1BvILaEU pic.twitter.com/L6A37qaLm9

— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) June 15, 2023

In a 2020 column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar passionately voiced his opinion, stating that Ashwin often gets sidelined if he underperforms in one game. Conversely, established batsmen receive more opportunities even if their performance falls short of expectations.

"For too long, Ashwin has faced consequences not due to any doubts about his bowling ability, which only the unreasonable would question, but because of his outspokenness and expressing his thoughts in meetings where others usually nod, even if they disagree. If Ashwin fails to take a bunch of wickets in one game, he is almost always sidelined for the next one. However, this doesn't happen to established batsmen," wrote Gavaskar. "Such are the different rules in Indian cricket. If you doubt me, ask Ravi Ashwin and T. Natarajan," he added.

Nearly three years later, Ashwin has finally responded to Gavaskar's passionate remarks. During an interview with Sportstar, the veteran off-spinner cryptically addressed Sunil Gavaskar's criticism regarding Team India's selection policy. Ashwin recounted his journey, starting as a batsman who watched a match between India and Sri Lanka where the bowlers were conceding a lot of runs. Witnessing this, he aspired to become an off-spinner, aiming to become a better bowler than those on the field. He mentioned that when he eventually retires, his regret would be not having been a better batsman but rather choosing to pursue bowling.

"This is a true story, not something fabricated. One day, I was watching the India-Sri Lanka game, and India's bowling was in disarray. Sachin Tendulkar was my favourite player, and whatever runs he scored, our bowlers would leak them with the ball. I started thinking - can I become a bowler someday? Can I be better than the existing bowlers? It sounds childish, but that's how I thought, and that's why I began bowling off-spin. That's where it all started," he explained.

"However, when I eventually retire, my first regret would be not being a better batsman. I shouldn't have become a bowler. It's something I constantly battle with, but there are different standards for bowlers and batsmen, and they are treated differently. I understand that for a batsman, it's a one-ball game, and they need opportunities," he added.