World Cup: The Indian team is going to play against Australia at home just before the ODI World Cup. Although this ODI series will consist of only three matches, the fate of two players ( players) will be decided in it. A change is expected in the World Cup team and two players will stake their claim during the Australia series.
Ravichandran Ashwin was explaining on his Tamil YouTube channel a month and a half ago why a talent like Tilak Verma should be taken seriously for the ODI World Cup. One of India’s greatest match-winners in Test cricket would probably never have imagined that he would be called up for a two-match trial against Washington Sundar, who is nearly a decade and a half his junior.
It is important to test the players for the selection of the World Cup team, but just two weeks before this great tournament, the Indian team management has called two off-spinners for the three-match series against Australia in case Axar Patel’s injury does not heal on time. After ‘Back-up’ option remains ready.
This will be a kind of ‘virtual shoot-out’ in which the selection committee of Ajit Agarkar will see his performance on the flat pitches of Mohali and Rajkot. Former chief selector MSK Prasad said, “I think Ashwin is ahead in the race that a bowler of his level has been called in the team. I always felt that Ashwin should have joined the team from the time preparations were being made for the ODI World Cup.
On whom would Akshar choose if he is not able to make it to the World Cup team, Prasad said, “We hope that Akshar will be fit for the final ODI in Rajkot. Because if he becomes fit, then no matter how Ashwin and Washington bowl, Axar will retain his place.
He said, “But this will be one of the most exciting trials of the World Cup. If they are looking at the batting-bowling (50-50 percent) option then it will be Washington. But if they are completely looking for spin bowling option then in my view Ashwin will have the upper hand.
However, if Harbhajan Singh has his views, this ‘Turbanator’ believes that if the team management and selectors called Washington for the Asia Cup final in Colombo and also kept him in the playing eleven, he would be the first choice. Washington bowls well in the powerplay. He is a brilliant fielder. And finally he is a left handed batsman in the lower middle order. So he is the complete package
Another national selector gave an interesting opinion on the Washington vs Ashwin debate. He said, “One should not feel bad about this but Akshar’s injury can prove to be good for someone. The decision to include the right-arm finger spinner should have been taken a long time ago and now they have got this opportunity at the last moment.