Former Indian Spinner R. Ashwin Says There Is "Less Clarity" Among Players Under Gautam Gambhir’s System

XtraTime Newsdesk: As India's preparations for the ODI World Cup 2027 intensify, the ODI series loss to England is certain to hurt. Despite the comeback of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, India were far from a polished outfit aiming to win the 50-over World Cup next year. Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India's most analytical players, compared the method implemented by current head coach Gautam Gambhir to his predecessor Rahul Dravid. Ashwin believes that India's reliance on piecemeal players is a major issue.

One of India's most pressing issues is finding a replacement to Hardik Pandya. The pace-bowling all-rounder has had ongoing fitness difficulties, and it remains unclear whether he will be ready for the World Cup next year. The alternatives include Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube, but the former has recently had multiple injuries which makes things a bit more complicated. Ashwin believes that India has to find a solid solution to this problem, and that makeshift all-rounders are not the answer.

"If Hardik is not there, it's Nitish Kumar Reddy and then Shivam Dube. There is no point in harping about players that are not ready to play in your combination. If they are injured, they are injured. That's par for the course in any sport. Look at the 2023 World Cup, which just fizzled out because Hardik wasn't part of the combination. But the moment it fizzled out, they were not searching, and they did not try to play the sixth bowler. They skinned the cat differently and went with five bowlers," Ashwin said on ESPNCricinfo, as he explained how Rahul Dravid approached the situation.

"They ensured the rest of the squad did not have a lack of clarity and were very stable even after Hardik's injury. They got to the final doing that. The players and the ethos in the dressing room is what will win you the World Cup. This bits and pieces has been a fascination for this management. That's probably why we have struggled in Tests, as Tests are firmly for the specialists. It's match-winners with the ball and bat that this management needs to keep at the top of their mind."

Ashwin believes that the way forward for India is to finalise a roster of 17-18 players and support them for the next 14 months while experimenting with different tactical configurations.

"There needs to be clarity before any discussions about personnel. Go to 17/18 players and tell them that we are going to pick the squad from that pool and they play the next 14 months, whoever that be. It has to have two keepers, three spinners and five pacers. Rotate the players in this pool with the vision of putting the best 11, come the first day of the World Cup. As of now, it's lacking a lot of clarity," said Ashwin.