Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar has batted for Ravichandran Ashwin’s inclusion in Team India’s playing XI for the Super 12 clash against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2021, saying the Men in Blue can play an extra spinner with all-rounder Hardik Pandya now bowling.
India preferred Varun Chakravarthy over Ashwin in the first two matches of the tournament, with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also offering the spin bowling option.
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"Also, there is no harm in thinking of going with 3 spinners also. And maybe not have somebody like Sharul Thakur or Mohammad Shami. Go in with 2 seamers and 3 spinners because if Hardik can come in and 2 overs of medium pace, you will still have 3 medium pacers in the team," Gavaskar told India Today.
He further suggested that India can replace Chakravarthy with Ashwin as Afghanistan batters are likely to play mystery spin better than most teams, given that they have a few in their ranks.
"A top-class spinner like R Ashwin, it doesn't make any difference whether he is bowling to a right-hander or a left-hander. Having a look at the number of mystery spinners that Afghanistan themselves have, look at someone like Miujeeb and some of the others who they don't play in the XI, they have a plethora of all these mystery spinners.
"So it might be easy for them to pick someone like a Varun Chakravarthy. So definitely, I would look at someone like R Ashwin. If at all, they are looking for someone who will slow the pace down, they can look at Rahul Chahar," he explained.
Having suffered heavy defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand, Team India will now have to win the remaining 3 matches by big margins and hope other results go in their favour if they are to reach the semi-finals.
Virat Kohli and company will take on Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (November 3) and Sunil Gavaskar warned the Indian team not to take them lightly.
"They are exceptionally dangerous. They are a team that is unafraid to play their shots. They have got mystery spinners. And Indian batsmen in recent times have shown a certain vulnerability when it comes to playing spin, especially back of the hand deliveries. I think they are a banana peel opponent and India should be wary of playing against them," he remarked.
(With India Today inputs)
