You don't pick a side just for the first innings' - Shane Warne slams Indian team management for not picking Ravi Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin continues to remain in the sidelines. The Indian side once again snubbed the right arm off spinning bowling legend for the 4th Test match against England at the Kennington Oval.

And, former Australian bowling icon, Shane Warne is not happy with Ashwin’s non-inclusion into the Indian playing XI. Stating that it was a stubborn decision by India, Warne added that England is a more balanced team as compared to India.

Stating that the ball will turn at the Kennington Oval, Warne reckoned that he would have picked Ashwin if he was the captain, as a team is not picked only for the first innings of a Test match. The 51-year-old Warne also added that Ashwin has also scored 5 Test hundreds as well.

“Stubborn it is a terrific word Nasser used. I think it is exactly that. If you look at those two sides and England have got such a more well-balanced team than India do with that tail.

I would have played Ashwin. It is going to turn here, you don’t pick a side just for the first innings, it will turn. Plus, he’s got five Test hundreds, you’re playing a batsman as well as someone who can bowl,” said Warne while commentating on Day 1.

Shane Warne had questioned Ravichandran Ashwin’s non-inclusion at the Lord’s Test as well

Shane Warne had also questioned Ravichandran Ashwin’s exclusion from the Indian side during the second Test match at Lord’s as well. He had earlier tweeted that a side should play a spinner in a Test match irrespective of the conditions, as a side does not pick a team just for the first innings.

“A spinner turning the game !!!! Surprise surprise, this is why you always play a spinner no matter what the conditions ! Remember you don’t pick a team just for the first innings. Spin to win,” Shane Warne had tweeted.

You can see Shane Warne’s tweet below

A spinner turning the game !!!! Surprise surprise, this is why you always play a spinner no matter what the conditions ! Remember you don’t pick a team just for the first innings. Spin to win @SkyCricket 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) August 15, 2021

India batted first in the 4th Test match and posted a total of 191 runs on the board in the first innings, with Shardul Thakur and Virat Kohli scoring half-centuries. England ended Day 1 with their scorecard reading 53/3, and still trial the Indian side by 138 runs.