'You could have played Ashwin easily if you had batted first' - Aakash Chopra opines on India's strategies upon WTC 2023 Final loss

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that Team India's decision to leave Ravichandran Ashwin out of their playing XI in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final was one of their biggest mistakes. On Sunday, June 11, India suffered a humiliating 209-run defeat against Australia in the WTC final at The Oval in London.

After winning the toss, India chose to bowl first, fielding four seamers and a single spinner- Ravindra Jadeja. The captain's decision backfired, as India conceded 469 runs in the opening innings courtesy of Travis Head (163 off 174) and Steve Smith's (121 off 268) magnificent centuries. India scored only 296 in their first innings, while Australia declared their second innings at 270/8. However, Rohit Sharma and Co. were bowled out for 234 on the final day while chasing a 444-run target.

Chopra focused on India's mistakes in the one-off Test while evaluating the match on his YouTube channel. According to the former Indian opener, if one thoroughly observes the match, India should have chosen to bat first. He added that India might have batted with three fast bowlers and two spinners, both of whom can bat. 

"If you dissect this match, you should have probably batted first after winning the toss. You could have played Ashwin easily if you had batted - three fast bowlers and the two spinners, both of whom can bat," Chopra said.

The 45-year-old went on to say that India could have played Ashwin in place of Shardul Thakur. He stated that Thakur could have been the fourth fast bowler as he does not consider him to be the third seamer in the team combination.

"Then you could have gone with Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav/Jaydev Unadkat/Shardul Thakur. Shardul will not be the third fast bowler in my personal team. He can be the fourth fast bowler. I personally don't consider Shardul a third fast bowler. Don't know whether it is right or wrong but that's what I feel," he added.

Shardul justified his selection with an all-round performance in the one-off Test. In Australia's first innings, the seam-bowling all-rounder picked up two crucial wickets, dismissing opener David Warner and centurion Steve Smith. The 31-year-old also contributed 51 runs in India's first innings, giving them an opportunity to make a comeback in the game.