India last won an ICC event under MS Dhoni's captaincy in 2013.
The loss prolonged India's wait for another ICC trophy as the team incurred a second successive defeat in a WTC final.
Speaking on his YouTube show, Ashwin started by congratulating the Pat Cummins-led side, opining that the team “thoroughly deserved” to win the final where they did have a “small advantage”.
He said: “Congratulations Australia! It was a fantastic final and they completely deserve the win. There was a small advantage although a few players like Marnus Labuschagne played a couple of matches in county cricket. That was a small one because in a one-Test shootout, you can't say who will do what, but they thoroughly deserved it. Even in the last WTC cycle, they missed qualifying for the finals only by a whisker. They have been a consistent Test team like India.”
Ashwin then spoke about the time MS Dhoni was Indian captain and how his secret to success as a leader was the sense of security he gave to his players, by playing with the same players throughout the year.
“It is understandable that there's a furor in India that we haven't won an ICC trophy in 10 years. I empathize with the fans. But the reaction on social media is that this player should be dropped and that player should be included. But the quality of a player doesn't change overnight.
A lot of us talk about MS Dhoni's leadership. What did he do? He kept it very simple. Under his regime, where I also played, he will pick a squad of 15. The same squad of 15 and the XI will play throughout the year. That sense of security is very important for a player,” he said.
India had last won an ICC trophy under MS Dhoni’s captaincy when they lifted the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, defeating the hosts in the final.