Former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad posted a heartfelt message for Ravichandran Ashwin after the latter broke silence on him not being picked in the playing XI of the marquee clash where the team lost by 209 runs to Australia at The Oval in London.
Ashwin was also India’s go-to bowler in the World Test Championship 2021-2023 cycle, having picked 61 wickets. The last Test series that India played in the WTC 2021-2023 cycle was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where R Ashwin won the joint Man of the Series title alongside Ravindra Jadeja.
Hence, it came out as a huge shock for the fans when R Ashwin was dropped from playing XI of the WTC Final 2023.
Recently, in an interview with ‘The Indian Express’, Ashwin spoke about his skills and how he approaches exclusion. He said:
“It’s a hard question to answer, right? Because we are standing right after the WTC Final. I would have loved to play because I have played a part in us getting there. Even in the last final I got four wickets and bowled really well. Ever since 2018-19, my bowling overseas has been fantastic and I have managed to win games for the team,”
He added:
“I am looking at it as a captain or coach and I’m just talking in hindsight, in their defence. So the last time when we were in England, it was 2-2 with a drawn Test and they would have felt 4 pacers and 1 spinner is the combination in England. That is what they might have thought going into the final,”
Venkatesh Prasad Shared A Heartfelt Post For Ravichandran Ashwin
The interview went viral in no time, considering that Ashwin’s absence from the playing XI was the biggest talk around the Indian team. His absence was regarded as one of the main reasons behind the defeat.
Reacting to Ravichandran Ashwin’s statements, Venkatesh Prasad extended his support to the veteran India spinner. Prasad took to his Twitter and hailed Ashwin as a champion. He wrote:
“So much depth, empathy and awareness. What a champion is @ashwinravi99, on the field and off it,”
Check out the Tweet:
Meanwhile, Ashwin is currently plying his trade for Dindigul Dragons in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
