3 reasons why Ravichandran Ashwin could be a trump card for India in WTC final

The inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final would start later this week at Ageas Bowl in Southampton. India would face New Zealand in the title match to compete for the championship trophy.

The Indian team has been in sublime form throughout the league phase of the tournament. India has successfully dominated their opponents to qualify for the final. Moreover, the young players of the squad have made some valuable contributions to help India secure a spot in the title match.

In the two years long tournament, India won 12 out of the 17 Test matches they played. In addition to that, the team secured a hard-fought and morale-boosting draw in the Sydney Test.

Throughout the tournament, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin played an important role in India’s success. He provided some much-needed breakthroughs for the Indian team. Thereby, he would be one of the key players in the WTC final. Some reasons why Ashwin would be the trump card for India are as follow

Leading wicket-taker of the team

In the World Test Championship, Ashwin has led the bowling attack of the Indian unit. He currently occupies the third spot in the list of leading wicket-takers in the tournament. He has taken 67 wickets in 13 Tests, which is just 3 behind Pat Cummins. Among Indian bowlers, he has the maximum number of wickets and would test his skills against the Kiwis.

Ashwin also has a lot of experience in playing international red-ball cricket. Thereby, he would be a vital cog in the bowling unit of India for the WTC final.

The top order of New Zealand have left-handed batsmen

Another main reason behind Ashwin being the trump card against Kiwis is the number of left-handed batsmen in their batting unit.

New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway are both left-handed. Thereby, Ashwin would try to pick their wickets and restrict them at a low run rate.

Henry Nicholls is another left-handed batsman who would come in at number five. So, the Kiwis would have three left-handed batsmen in the top five.

Ashwin has a good record against Ross Taylor

Ravichandran Ashwin has previously been successful at picking up Ross Taylor’s wicket. He has dismissed veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor five times in six matches. Thereby, Ashwin would have a psychological edge over Taylor in the WTC final.

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