“I would bring R Ashwin back in Indian team,” says Dilip Vengsarkar on spinner's return in ODIs and T20Is

R Ashwin last played a limited overs international for India in 2017.

Former India captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar said that it was time veteran spinner R Ashwin should be brought back into the Indian limited-overs team. This came after Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Krunal Pandya were hammered by England batsmen in the recent ODI series.

Things got bad especially in the second ODI when England chased down the 337-run target with more than 6 overs to spare and Krunal Pandya went for 72 runs in his 6 overs and Kuldeep Yadav gave away 84 runs in his 10 overs, combining to leak 156 runs in 16 overs.

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Kuldeep was dropped for the series-deciding third ODI, while Virat Kohli limited his use of Krunal in the match, bowling Hardik Pandya for an extended spell instead. India also had Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar available in the squad but chose not to avail their services.

Dilip Vengsarkar felt that it was the right time to recall R Ashwin into the limited-overs scene. Ashwin last played a white-ball international in 2017 and since then has become a Test specialist.

"If I were the chief selector (now), I would have brought Ashwin back (to the white ball set-up). Why not? Because he is such an experienced bowler and he has variety. As they say, spinners mature late and he has done so well over the years. He is in terrific form in red-ball cricket. I think it will suit the team if he is brought back," Vengsarkar told The Sunday Express.

Chahal and Kuldeep had forced Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja out of India’s white-ball plans, but the duo have been ineffective for the past few series and though Ravindra Jadeja forced his way back into the Indian limited-overs team, Ashwin is yet to be given another chance.

"Washington Sundar is no match if you compare him with Ashwin purely as a bowler. Where is the comparison? Players of “the same discipline”, however, have featured in the Indian squad before the Ravindra Jadeja-Axar Patel combo was a case in point. So why not Washington and Ashwin? “Yeah, absolutely. In the ODIs, when the spinners bowl, their job is to get wickets in the middle overs," Vengsarkar said.  

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Vengsarkar felt that Ashwin still had the goods to pick wickets in the middle overs for India when there is a need to put brakes on the scoring rate.

"If they fail to get wickets, then the opposition can score a huge total, with wickets in hand. So basically, Ashwin’s job will be to get wickets and he is good at that. The variety he has, would be a very good attacking option and very few can match his variety. As far as spinners are concerned, you don’t contain the batsmen (in this format), especially in the middle overs,” Vengsarkar added.

R Ashwin will be seen playing for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2021 edition, which begins on April 9.

(The Sunday Express inputs)