WTC Final 2023: Team India explain why Ravichandran Ashwin isn't in playing 11

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Team India faced backlash from several quarters, including Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting, for not playing spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing 11 for the World Test Championship or WTC Final 2023 against Australia. The team's management finally came out with a response, justifying his exclusion.

India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said the tough decision to leave out the world's number one ranked bowler Ravichandran Ashwin from the WTC final and was based purely on conditions.

Conditions have been cold and overcast at The Oval, especially in the morning, over the past three days but day one saw bright sunshine in the afternoon and evening session.

"It is always a very difficult decision to drop a champion bowler like him (Ashwin)," said Mhambrey. "Looking at the conditions in the morning we thought an additional seamer would be beneficial. It has also worked in the past for us.

"Seamers have done well out here for us. You can always look back and say that additional spinner would have been beneficial but we took the call looking at the conditions."

Asked what kind of communications take place with the player who is not included in the eleven, he said: "When team discussion happens, we talk about composition over a period of days. We trained here for three-four days before the game and seeing the wicket, conversations happen with players.

"The players also understand that (the importance of team combination)." The bowling coach said India can surely bounce back in the game. The second new ball did a bit. The morning session will be important. The wicket played better than our expectations in the last two sessions today," he said.

No fitness issues with Umesh Yadav Umesh Yadav bowled only 14 overs in the day but Mhambrey said he had no fitness issues. He also felt bowlers could have done better.

"We could have been more disciplined. After 12-13 overs, we lacked discipline. I felt we conceded more runs that we would have preferred," he said adding that they could have employed the short ball tactics earlier than they did.

With inputs from PTI