Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has hit back at head coach Gautam Gambhir after he criticized Harshit Rana’s selection on his ‘YouTube channel’ for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia starting October 19 in Perth.
After India’s 2-0 Test series win over West Indies at home, Gautam Gambhir came out in strong defense of Harshit Rana after India’s former chief selector Krisnamachhari Srikanth claimed that the 23-year-old pacer was selected for the upcoming ODI series in Australia only because he is a “yes man”.
Gautam Gambhir slams Krisnamachari Srikanth with ‘YouTube’ jibe
The Indian head coach clarified that Rana’s selection had nothing to do with favoritism or personal connections. This young pacer earned his place purely through performance and achievements.
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Gambhir told the media at the post-match press conference: “Look, this is very shameful. If you are criticizing a 23-year-old for running his own YouTube channel, that is unfair. His father is not a former chairman (of selectors), nor is he a former cricketer, nor is he an NRI. He has played cricket on his own merits and will continue to do so. It is not fair to target individuals.”
Ravichandran Ashwin hits back at Gautam Gambhir over Harshit Rana’s remarks.
Now, the Indian spin legend has hit back at Gambhir for his shocking attack on the former World Cup winner. However, while Ashwin did not question Rana’s selection, he publicly questioned the selection of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for the upcoming ODI series against Australia.
He also expressed concerns about his role in the recently concluded Test series against West Indies. Nitish Kumar Reddy played in both Tests against West Indies but bowled just four overs, all in the first match in Ahmedabad.
Ashwin felt that if India did not have faith in his bowling, India should have opted for a specialist batsman in Reddy’s place or a proven all-rounder like Axar Patel, who has contributed consistently with both bat and ball in home conditions. He asked for clarification on Reddy’s role within the team.
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I don’t see the point: Ravichandran Ashwin questions Nitish Kumar Reddy’s choice
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “If this is Nitish Reddy’s role, I think you can play a specialist batsman or a bowler. You can also play Axar Patel. What else has he done? “When will Nitish Reddy come in? I’m not saying we need an extra bowler. If not, just play a specialist batsman. Axar has done a much better job than Nitish.
The former India all-rounder further added, “Axar Patel has the best defense against spin. So if we don’t use him, Nitish can play for batting depth, especially if we have Siraj, Bumrah and the second seamers. Otherwise, I don’t see any point. Nitish is a great batsman, but his role could be a little more defined.”
Gautam Gambhir defended Nitish Kumar Reddy’s choice
Gambhir also faced the same question at a press conference but defended his selection. India’s head coach explained that Reddy’s participation is part of a wider plan to expose the 23-year-old to Test cricket at home.
Watching and learning from famous bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj gives you valuable experience even if you don’t bowl many overs.
Gambhir stressed that it would be unfair to restrict Reddy to challenging overseas tours and that she will continue to be supported in domestic Tests.