IND vs SA: Aakash Chopra Questions Ashwin’s Place in The Indian Team for The 3rd Test

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra reckons that the Indian team might consider choosing Hanuma Vihari over R Ashwin the final test against South Africa. This is because in conditions like those in South Africa, Virat Kohli might not be able to use Ashwin’s services to the fullest.

Ashwin has picked up just three wickets across the four innings of the Centurion and Johannesburg Tests. That includes the last two wickets he took to finish off the Proteas’ second innings in the Boxing Day Test.

In a video uploaded by him on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was questioned if R Ashwin should be given a few more overs in the third Test for him to be more effective. He replied:

“I feel you should consider if Ashwin should be played at all in Cape Town because even Hanuma Vihari will bowl the number of overs he is bowling. And Hanuma Vihari can bat better than him.”

“You go in with four fast bowlers and keep Hanuma Vihari as the fifth because you are scoring very few runs in the batting in any case. And once Virat Kohli comes, you will have to make someone sit out. So instead of Vihari, you can make Ashwin sit out.”

“You are not needing Ashwin’s bowling much because if you see the last day as well, in the fourth innings also Ashwin took just one wicket. If we see the fourth innings at Centurion, there also he had caught hold of the tail.”