Virender Sehwag's 'different rules for each player' claim in Indian team wins support?

Indian spinner R Ashwin emerged into the international circuit after he debuted for the Chennai franchise in IPL 2009. The off-spinner soon paved his way into the Indian team courtesy of his impressive IPL performances. Since then, there has been no looking back for Ashwin as he has been India's leading spinner in Test cricket for the major part of the last decade.

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Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar agree on partial treatment in Indian team?

During the recent ODI series in Australia, Virender Sehwag criticised the Indian team selection on commentary during the 3rd ODI. While commentating alongside Harsha Bhogle for the Sony Sports Network, Virender Sehwag questioned Shubman Gill’s selection in the team over Mayank Agarwal. Regarding Agarwal’s exclusion, the 2011 World Cup-winner said such selection tactics should be applied for everyone in the team, including the captain Virat Kohli.

Interestingly, the former Indian cricketer had also similarly criticised the then chief selector Sandeep Patil back in 2013 when Sehwag himself was dropped by the selection committee for the home series against Australia early that year after failures in his last 10 innings. On a talk show Aap Ki Adalat, Sehwag opined that if the then captain MS Dhoni was not dropped despite his failures during that period, then why are players of different levels differentiated in terms of being judged by successes and failures over a short span of time.

The issue was also discussed in length by former Indian cricketer and legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar. Unlike their batting styles, Gavaskar and Sehwag seem to often be on the same page when it comes to openly speaking out against what can be perceived as biasedness within the Indian team in terms of treating players differently.

As he did recently for an Indian publication, Gavaskar too had famously questioned the exclusion of R Ashwin many times from the Indian Test team, more so during the 2019 season. The former Indian captain had claimed in October that year during the South Africa series at home that Ashwin is often been made to fight for his place in the team rather than being a certainty, not being given the comfort and confidence that he deserves seeing his performances in the longest format of the game, which made him try 'a bit too hard' than usual. 

Ashwin impressed everyone with his performances in the first Test as he bagged five wickets across both innings including 4/55 in the first innings which was instrumental in helping India get a 53-run lead. Despite his record as India's Test captain, Virat Kohli has often been criticised for following a 'horses-for-courses' strategy in terms of team selection, making changes to the team whether the team wins or loses.

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Meanwhile, Ashwin will be raring to go and replicate his performances in India vs Australia 2nd Test. According to the India vs Australia schedule, the second Test will start on Saturday, December 26 in Melbourne. Live action of the India vs Australia 2nd Test will commence at 5:00 AM (IST). The Indian team will be without the services of their skipper Virat Kohli who has returned to India to be with wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child. Ajinkya Rahane will lead Team India in Kohli's absence. India are trailing the series 1-0 after getting hammered in the first Test by the hosts.

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SOURCE: PTI