Gavaskar’s cutting queries about Rohit and Dravid’s decision on bowling tactics

Indian batting legend and present commentator Sunil Gavaskar was not convinced by skipper Rohit Sharma’s plot of concentrating more on the match-ups instead of the quality of the cricketer. The spinners disturbed the batters the most and hence Ashwin and Jadeja who were in extreme thirst for wickets deserved the overs on the second day, the most. But the story wasn’t the same with Ashwin as he didn’t receive a single over in the first hour of Day 2 of the third Test between India and Australia. 

Sunil Gavaskar was clearly not impressed with the captain’s tactics of not giving the ball to potent in-form Ravichandran Ashwin for almost the first hour of the 2nd Day of the third Test at Indore. Ashwin is presently holding the second spot in the wicket-taking list of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy. He was inducted into the attack just minutes before the drinks break. But by that time Peter Handcomb and Cameron Green seemed to be in good touch and took Australia’s first-innings lead to over 75 runs. 

The Little master was clearly not convinced by Rohit’s plan of paying more attention to the match-ups rather than the quality of the cricketers. Gavaskar expressed this because both batters Handscomb and green are two right-handers. The Indian skipper sent Mohammad Siraj first along with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. The former duo was then replaced by Axar Patel while Ravi Ashwin was kept waiting. 

"I don't understand this too much focus on the match-up thing. Because there were two right-handers in the crease, Ashwin wasn't brought on till the last over before the drinks break. Because of those match-ups, the two left-armers bowled, then what happened? Who gets the breakthrough? Ravichandran Ashwin. He gets the wicket of Handscomb. He is a top player, he is going to get wickets, doesn't matter if it's a right-hander or a left-hander. He is a great bowler. Ashwin has 450-plus wickets and he should have been given the ball a lot earlier," Gavaskar spoke on live television in the post-lunch session.

As soon as Ashwin started his spell, he bought results in the second over of the day by picking the wicket of Handscomb and hence breaking the partnership. The experienced off-spinner who acquired the No. 1 Bowler ranking on Wednesday, then went for Alex Carey and Nathan Lyon as India took six wickets giving away just 11 runs to restrict the Kangaroos to just 197 runs. In between Ashwin’s excellence, Indian pacestar Umesh Yadav also shattered three timbers with his reverse swing skill as Team India managed to stay in the game by restricting Australia’s lead to 88. 

As per his analysis of the current skipper’s decision, Gavaskar urged the Indian team management about Ashwin’s situation despite being the country’s present greatest spinner.

Gavaskar also said, "You don't send a No.7 ahead of a No.3 just because he is maybe not good against spin or good against pace. You send the No.3 because he is good, he is a top batter. So what is this thing about bowlers? And Why does this happen regularly to Ashwin? That extra 20 runs could have been saved."