Published 15:28 IST, February 26th 2021
Gautam Gambhir questions Virat Kohli for not picking R Ashwin in India's white-ball teams
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir expressed his amazement at R Ashwin's absence from India's limited-overs teams for more than two years.
Indian bowler R Ashwin has been India's leading spinner in Test cricket for the major part of the last decade. Over the years, Ashwin has bamboozled batsmen with his spin variations and created several records. While R Ashwin career in the purest format of the game has scaled newer heights with each passing game, R Ashwin career in limited-overs formats hasn't really taken off after showing promise in the initial phase of his international cricketing journey. Notably, the off-spinner has been out of India's limited-overs teams for more than two years now.
Gautam Gambhir amazed over R Ashwin's absence from India's white-ball teams
Recently, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir expressed his amazement at R Ashwin's absence from India's limited-overs teams for such a long time and also claimed that the offie should feature in India's limited-overs teams. While speaking to ESPN.in, Gambhir said that Ashwin has got five Test hundreds which people don't talk about much because he is such a great bowler that his bowling overshadows his batting abilities.
Gambhir further said that it amazes him to see R Ashwin not play white-ball cricket for India. According to the former opener, it is a shame that Ashwin hasn't played ODI and T20I cricket for India for the last two years after having 9 Man of the Series awards to his name. Gambhir reckoned that players have made comebacks in Test cricket based on their performances in white-ball cricket which he called isn't the right way.
However, he added that a player who has done phenomenally well in Test cricket has failed to make a comeback into the ODI and T20I team for two years. Further questioning Ashwin's absence from India's white-ball cricket, Gambhir reiterated that moreover, Ashwin has performed exceedingly well in the IPL where he has bowled with the new ball, old ball, at the death and every stage of the game which is why he doesn't understand the reason behind his exclusion.
R Ashwin Test wickets
Ashwin became the fastest Indian bowler to register 400 Test wickets on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test match against England at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ashwin who had reached the milestone in his 77th Test appearance became the world's second-fastest bowler to register 400 wickets in the game's longest format. The record is still held by Sri Lankan spin legend as well as the highest wicket-taker in Test history Muttiah Muralitharan who had reached the landmark in just his 72nd Test appearance.
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Ashwin has now joined the likes of a few of his great predecessors to become the fourth Indian bowler to register 400 scalps in the longest format of the game. Ashwin with 401 wickets in 77 matches has joined the likes of his former team-mate Harbhajan Singh (417 wickets in 103 matches), legendary all-rounder & 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev (434 wickets in 131 matches), and, spin legend Anil Kumble (619 wickets from 132 matches to reach the 400-club in Test match cricket.
SOURCE: PTI/ ICC-CRICKET.COM
Updated 15:29 IST, February 26th 2021