'Ashwin suffered for his forthrightness and speaking his mind at meetings': Sunil Gavaskar

Ravichandra Ashwin was one of the fewest players in Team India who had a successful spell during the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. The spin wizard got some crucial wickets for the hosts including in-form batsman Steve Smith.

However, Ashwin's position was in doubt if Ravindra Jadeja would have been fit for the match. Ravichandran Ashwin has had prolific spinner for India and has been consistent with his performance when the team tours abroad, but his place in the playing XI has always been in doubt. Former batting great Sunil Gavaskar talked about this and said that Ashwin has been the victim for his ‘forthrightness’ and ‘speaking his mind at meetings’.

“For far too long Ashwin has suffered not for his bowling ability of which only the churlish will have doubts, but for his forthrightness and speaking his mind at meetings where most others just nod even if they don’t agree,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Ashwin has performed well for India in the longest format. The Chennai-based player has performed both with the bat and bowl.

“Any other country would welcome a bowler who has more than 350 Test wickets and not to forget four-Test match centuries, too.

“However, if Ashwin doesn’t take heaps of wickets in one game he is invariably sidelined for the next one. That does not happen to established batsmen though. Even if they fail in one game they get another chance and another and another but for Ashwin, the rules seem to be different,” Gavaskar wrote.