File photo of Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin© AFP
Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the top bowling choices for the Rohit Sharma-led side right now and the team management should consider playing him in the Cricket World Cup 2023. The inclusion of Ashwin in the World Cup squad was met with varied reactions from fans and experts after he made a decent comeback in the ODI series against Australia where he took four wickets in two matches. Ashwin replaced the injured Axar Patel in the final Cricket World Cup squad after he was ruled out following the injury he picked up during Asia Cup 2023.
“People are realising that skill is more important. It’s not like an off-spinner shouldn’t bowl to right-handers. Even I mentioned that Ashwin should play if the opposition has more left-handers, but that is what the management thinks. But if I was captain of the team or part of management, I would pick my five best bowlers and Ashwin would be first or second on that list,” Harbhajan said on ESPNCricinfo.
After Axar got injured India had to pick between Ashwin and Washington Sundar and the selectors went with the experienced offs-spinner. Harbhajan truly feels it was the right call.
Earlier, Harbhajan was all praise for the explosive batter Suryakumar Yadav and said that he needs to play every match of the Cricket World Cup as he is a ‘pure match winner’.
“Surykaumar Yadav has to play all the matches. I don’t care whom he replaces, but his name should be taken first and then the rest. You have a player who is a pure match-winner and can single-handedly make the game one-sided. He is the ace of spades. We have have been taking about a finisher…he is the one. He has to play at No. 5 for India,” Harbhajan said on his official YouTube channel.
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