On Tuesday, October 14, Shubman Gill-led Indian cricket team registered a comfortable 2-0 series sweep against West Indies at home in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. After claiming the first Test by an inning and 140-run margin, India registered a seven-wicket win, courtesy KL Rahul’s unbeaten 58 which helped the side seal the game in the opening hour of the final day.
While the victory was first for Shubman Gill as Test captain, it was also India’s first win at home in the ongoing WTC 2025-27 cycle. Not only this, the series also raised several eyebrows over the selection of a few players. While Gautam Gambhir was questioned for selecting Harshit Rana despite Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj being the spearhead pacers, recently there were questions
on not playing Axar Patel despite naming him in the squad.
R Ashwin slams Team India’s selection; questions Axar Patel’s place in XI
Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin expressed concerns over team selection, while adding that the team could have opted for either a specialist batter or an all-rounder. “If this is Nitish Reddy’s role, I feel you can play a specialist batter or a bowler. You could play Axar Patel. What less has he done? He has been a match-winner,” Ashwin.
The former Indian further went in to question the logic behind selection all-rounder Axar Patel, who also contributes with the ball. “When does Nitish Reddy come into play? I am not saying you need an extra bowler; if not, then play a specialist batter only. Axar has done much better than Nitish in this role,” he said. “Axar Patel has the best defence against spin. So, if you’re not using him, especially when you have Siraj, Bumrah, and a second seamer, then Nitish can play for batting depth. Otherwise, I don’t see the point. Nitish is a fine batter, but there could be a bit more clarity on his role.”
It is to be noted that Axar Patel has so far played 14 Test matches for India, scoring 646 runs at an average of 35.88 and has taken 55 wickets. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is comparatively new in the Indian setup, has played nine Tests where he has amassed 386 runs at an average of 29.69 and has claimed eight wickets so far.
