India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed no grievances towards Rohit Sharma for not including him in the World Cup 2023 final. During a conversation with former India cricketer S Badrinath on his YouTube channel, Ashwin mentioned that he comprehended Rohit’s mindset leading up to the final against Australia.
Ashwin highlighted that Rohit Sharma would have carefully considered the playing combination for the final, emphasizing that there was no need to alter a successful lineup that had performed admirably throughout the tournament.
R Ashwin has commented on his absence from the World Cup 2023 Final
“As far as I am concerned, I playing the final, team combination and all that is secondary. Firstly, it’s about empathy, I keep stressing it a lot. It’s about standing in someone else’s shoes and looking at things from his/her viewpoint.”
“If I had been in Rohit’s shoes, I would have thought 100 times about changing the combination. It was going very well for the team. Why would I rest a fast bowler and play 3 spinners?” Ashwin said while having conversation with S Badrinath.
Ashwin played the opening match against Australia in Chennai, securing one wicket for 34 runs. Despite being on the bench afterward, he was considered for the final due to the slow pitch in Ahmedabad.
However, Captain Sharma chose not to include Ashwin, sticking to the successful combination that had performed well in the previous six matches.
“Honestly, I was able to understand the thought process of Rohit Sharma. Playing the final is a big opportunity. I was preparing for it for 3 days in the lead-up. And I was not replying to a lot of people. I read only the ticker of WhatsApp messages and kept my phone away,” Ashwin said.
“I was preparing myself well for the opportunity. At the same time, I was prepared to cheer for the team and run in with electral if I didn’t get the opportunity. I was mentally prepared for that too,” the spinner concluded.
Ashwin addressed the pitch controversy in the semi-final and final of the tournament, clarifying that India did not insist on specific pitches. According to him, both teams provided input on the desired surface before the matches, with the final decision resting with the ground staff and ICC.
“In the entire tournament, I can’t say that any team wanted pitches of their preference. I don’t think so. They had decided on surfaces to be played before. After that, the groundsmen took the call.”
“When we played against Pakistan, the surface did not look that black. Maybe after that, the change in weather, the change in temperature, the surface had lost some grass. I don’t think it played like how it looked,” Ashwin said.
“The only differential factor was the moisture on the wicket in the evening. After the clay wicket took in the moisture, it got a lot better,” said the spinner on the matter.
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