IND vs ENG 2021: Shane Warne says spinner must in all conditions; India's decision not to play Ashwin comes under more scrutiny
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has not been picked by Team India in either of the Test matches against England. Australian legend Shane Warne shed his views on the ace spinner's exclusion after Moeen Ali bowled a brilliant delivery to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja on Day 4 of the second Test. Warne wrote about how a spinner is a must in a team and hinted that Ashwin should have been picked.
"A spinner turning the game !!!! Surprise surprise, this is why you always play a spinner no matter what the conditions ! Remember you don’t pick a team just for the first innings. Spin to win," wrote Shane Warne on his Twitter account.
Virat Kohli had preferred going in with a four-pacers attack and picked Jadeja at No.7 as the only spin-bowling option. Ashwin and Jadeja have been one of the most successful spin duos in recent years and many had questioned the exclusion of Ashwin from the team.
In Team India's defense, English conditions are expected to support pacers and the decision to go in with four pacers was a logical one. However, the pitches do start turning in the last couple of days and therefore a spinner can add great value towards the end of the match. If an off-spinner like Moeen Ali can get the ball to spin considerably then one can only imagine what Ashwin would have done.
Ravi Ashwin could be vital in the rest of the series
A five-match Test series is never easy for fast bowlers. They do need some rest and therefore Ashwin will surely be in the mix for the upcoming Test matches. He can be a good option for India at number eight with the bat as well. Even though Virat Kohli said that Shardul Thakur will be fit in time for the third Test, that is not yet certain.
The second Test match is at a very interesting juncture going into the final day. India have a lead of 154 runs but have lost six wickets. England will look to keep India's lead below 200 and will back their batsmen to chase down the target from there. India will be hoping to put up a target of around 250 runs and give their bowlers a chance to dismiss the English batsmen.