‘Why not Ashwin’ – Devang Gandhi backs Ravichandran Ashwin for leadership role until youngsters come of age

Ravi Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI)

Team India suffered yet another heartbreak when they lost the final of the World Test Championship to Australia. Taking on the Pat Cummins-led side, the Aussies dominated India across the five days that the match was played, winning the game by 209 runs and clinching their maiden WTC title.

Following the WTC final, team India is all set for a tour to the Caribbean as they take on the West Indies in a multi-format series in July-August. Ahead of the series, former national selector Devang Gandhi came forward and opined that giving a youngster like Yashasvi Jaiswal a chance in the Test series instead of Pujara could work wonders for India.

With the new WTC cycle scheduled to get underway soon, team India will be looking to revamp their squad following their disheartening loss in the summit clash against Australia.

“The problem is that you give a West Indies Test series to Pujara, and if he scores, you have got to persist with him for one more year as there are no Tests after this till December. So do you do that or straightaway get a youngster and get him ready for bigger battles,” Devang Gandhi was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Furthermore, he also stated that while 23-year-old Shubman Gill could be the Indian skipper in the future, someone like Ravichandran Ashwin or Ajinkya Rahane could be given a leadership role until the youngsters come of age.

“Why not Ashwin? And if you say that he is not a certainty overseas, then I would say even Rahane, despite being a vice-captain, was dropped from playing XI at one point. So even Ashwin can be considered or Rahane for a short time before Gill cements his place in Test XI,” Gandhi said.

The first Test between India and the West Indies will be played from July 12, with the second Test scheduled to be played from July 20. Furthermore, the first Test will be played in Dominica, with Trinidad hosting the second Test.