Former Australia captain, Steve Waugh has come down heavily upon India and stated that they have picked the wrong side for the WTC.
Meanwhile, India won the toss on the 7th of June and decided to bowl first at The Oval. However, it was a very poor outing for the bowlers.
According to Waugh, the wicket at The Oval is very tricky and can lure any skipper into making the wrong decision.
He feels that while it looks green on the surface, underneath it is not so, and when the sun hits upon it, the batters get the upper hand.
Furthermore, Steve has also stated that Australia made the same error four years ago in 2019 during the Ashes and paid a similar price.
Additionally, Waugh has also stated that India should have put Ravichandran Ashwin into their squad as he can bat and bowl well in Test cricket.
We made the same blunder four years ago in the Ashes. The Oval is always tricky. It looks green on top but underneath, it is crumbly and a bit dry. You can get lulled into the overcast sky and green pitch and think it is going to do everything. As soon as the sun comes out it is totally different and dries out quickly.
Adding further, he says,
I do think (India) have picked the wrong side. Spin will play a big part in this Test match and it is going to be up and down. I would have picked Ashwin for his batting, let along his bowling. That is why I can’t believe he isn’t playing because he has got five Test centuries as well. It is very strange.
Steve Waugh and Brad Hogg have backed the duo of Jadeja and Ashwin for WTC
Meanwhile, former Australia player, Brad Hogg is also quite surprised by Ashwin’s exclusion from the WTC squad.
He has also criticized India for the same and said that the duo of Jadeja and Ashwin could have helped India.
Furthermore, he has also stated that the pacers are taking time to get used to bowling longer spells.
Therefore, they weren’t as effective in the game, and had there been Ashwin in the squad, then it would have taken off some pressure from the pacers.
India made a decision, and whatever the wicket was like, they should have played Ashwin anyway. They have just come off an IPL and have got four fast bowlers out there that haven’t bowled long spells. So Ashwin and Jadeja could have held up one end and taken a lot of pressure off the fast bowlers at the other end when they were low on fuel.
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