India left out Ravichandran Ashwin for the first Test against West Indies in Antigua to raise major doubts about the premier off-spinner's future in international cricket. 

Ashwin couldn't close out a few important overseas Tests last season and missed games due to fitness issues, which left the team management feeling the need to change the pecking order of spinners. 

The 32-year-old is Test cricket's quickest to 300 scalps but perhaps no longer a guaranteed pick when Team India plays overseas, reiterated veteran offie Harbhajan Singh, who told The Telegraph: "If you see, there have been instances when Ashwin failed miserably in overseas conditions. For example, in the fourth Test against England in Southampton in 2018, Moeen Ali finished with a match- haul of nine wickets whereas Ashwin had three wickets in the match."

"Both are finger spinners, but with different performances. My hunch is that the team management feels when it comes to overseas tours, Ashwin is no longer the go-to man."

"If you see during the Australia tour (in 2018-19), he got injured after the first Test but the team management kept him in the squad, hoping against hope he would recover. He could not."

"These things weigh a lot when it comes to choosing a first XI. Don’t forget, the Antigua Test is the first we are playing since the Sydney Test in January," Harbhajan added. 

However, legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who is commentating during this series, said he was surprised by Ashwin's non-selection versus West Indies, a team he enjoys a great home and away record against. 

"(The selection) astonished me," Gavaskar said during his commentary stint. "A man with that kind of record, especially against West Indies. He doesn’t find a place in this playing XI. That is stunning. Astonishing."

Ashwin has taken 342 wickets in 65 Tests since making his debut in 2011 at an average of 25.4 and strike-rate of 53.7, including 26 five-wicket hauls. 

(Inputs from The Telegraph)