Is the backbone of Indian bowling transforming? Ashwin still not a part of playing eleven !

India’s test victory drought at Lord’s finally came to an end after 28 long year .But what makes this moment very special is the fact that it was the seamers who ‘pitched’ right for India. For a country obsessed with its batting masterpieces and spin wizards, this should have been a pleasant surprise. But the absence of Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI has not struck a good chord with former veterans like Bishen Singh Bedi and Pakistan’s ace spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. It is indeed true that his presence often brings in the much needed lethal attack when you are facing a team like England in their own soil. But if we look back to what happened 28 years back at Lord’s under Kapil Dev, the magician to everybody’s surprise was not a spinner again. A clinical effort by the medium pacers and a sound century by Dilip Vengsarkar was what did it for India 28 years back at Lord’s.
The wicket around this time at Lord’s was so green that one could not make out between the pitch and the outfield. So playing an extra seamer was a but obvious choice. The wicket might have turned on the fourth and the fifth day. But you make hay only when the sun shines . Typically, the Lord’s pitch doesn’t crack up too much. So unless you are a Muralitharan , you do your hays in cloud which is but a difficult task.
Pondering upon the fact as to why Ashwin was not played in the Nottingham test, was probably a wrong choice captain Dhoni made. The pitch cracked up a little too much on the last 2 days and Ashwin’s presence would probably have given an outside chance to India. Wrapping up the tail and troubling the top-order was what the doctor had ordered for and Ashwin was the perfect Antidote for that. Though Ashwin does not have a very good record against England, what probably could have stood out in Nottingham with Ashwin’s inclusion would have been the absence of a quality spinner in the English side to take advantage of the cracks in the field. England had five Left handed batsmen in their team and Ashwin’s carom balls would have been difficult for them to handle. Historically speaking the pitch of Nottingham has always favored the spinners. Because of the presence of tall buildings around the ground, the effect of breeze is almost done away with. So on the 4th and 5th day one cannot rely on seam movement due to the breeze. Movement off the deck is almost non-existent. So seamers have a hard time taking wickets and when that happens the match doesn’t end up giving a result, a disappointment for every stakeholder involved, right from the players to the spectators.
Spinners at times do change the course of the game and so can Ashwin but depending on him to be the sting of the attack always, be it a Chennai’s cracked pitch or a lush green at Lord’s is not the right tactic for any team .