Spin-king Ashwin in no mood to relinquish his crown Premium

R. Ashwin, India's best bowler in the last WTC cycle, was benched for the title clash. Despite the setback, he bounced back with a match-winning spell of 12/131 in the opening Test of the new WTC cycle, proving his hunger and passion for the game. He is now just one five-wicket haul away from equalling Anil Kumble's record and is on track to reach 500 Test wickets soon. R. Ashwin: best bowler in last WTC, benched for title clash, bounced back with 12/131, hunger & passion for game, one 5-wicket haul from equalling Kumble's record, on track to 500 Test wickets.

R. Ashwin was the best bowler for India in the previous World Test Championship cycle (2021-23) with 61 wickets, 14 more than Ravindra Jadeja, the second-best, at a better average and strike rate too. However, the World No. 1 ranked Test bowler, who played a crucial role in Rohit Sharma’s men reaching the final, was not accommodated in the XI for the title clash against Australia citing ‘team combination’ as the reason.

Even after factoring in the variables unique to cricket — from pitch and overhead conditions to the make-up of the opponents — it is hard to imagine any other team sport where the best and in-form player is benched for the most crucial contest. His non-selection for the summit clash drew widespread criticism from former players and fans across the world as Team India succumbed to a heavy defeat, its second straight in WTC finals.

Nothing could be more frustrating for a player than being dropped, especially when operating at the highest level.

Ashwin opened up about his disappointment in not playing the match during a chat with The Hindu, having done the hard yards to get the side that far.

Yet, a month after that, as most great sportsmen do, Ashwin proved he was special as he let the ball do the talking once again. With the off-spinner at his magical best, India kick-started the third World Test Championship cycle with a humongous win over the West Indies in Dominica.

The 36-year-old was in the thick of things as he produced a match-winning spell of 12 for 131 to wrap things up in just three days.

Though he has often made things look easy on the field, Ashwin went on to explain after his five-for in the first innings how mentally draining it was to come out and perform at such a high level despite setbacks.