R Ashwin was left out of the playing XI as India started their ICC World Test Championship campaign at Antigua on Thursday. The exclusion left former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar baffled.
Virat Kohli and Co preferred one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja leaving out the Tamil Nadu tweaker, who coincidentally has stupendous record against the Caribbeans. The exclusion meant the offie has been out of the fourth straight Test after missing the last three in Australia with injury.
“[The selection] astonished me,” Gavaskar said while commentating. “A man with that kind of record, especially against West Indies. He doesn’t find a place in this playing XI. That is stunning. Astonishing.” For the record, Ashwin has scored 552 runs at an average of 40.18 including four hundreds against the West Indies in 11 Tests. Add to it, 60 wickets at a bowling average of 21.85.