Tendulkar was taken aback by the argument that a bowler of Ashwin’s caliber could not be used in pacer-friendly conditions, that too when this Australian team has several left-handed batsmen.
India lost in the final for the second time
He said, ‘I had said before the match that a skilful spinner does not always rely on help when he meets the pitch. He uses the wind, the bounce of the pitch and his variations. It should not be forgotten that Australia had five left-handed batsmen in the top eight. Ashwin has taken 61 wickets in 13 Tests in the two-year cycle of the second season of the WTC.
In the final of the World Test Championship 2023, the Indian team was given a target of 444 runs by Australia. In the match, Team India captain Rohit Sharma decided to bowl first after winning the toss. At the same time, the Australian team, which came out to bat first, scored a score of 469 runs. In response to this, when the Indian team came out to bat, its first innings was reduced to just 296 runs. Australia once again maintained their dominance in the second innings as well. In the match, the Kangaroo team declared their innings by scoring 270 runs for 8 wickets.
In this way Australia got a total lead of 443 runs including both the innings. In such a situation, Team India had to score 444 runs to win, but on the fifth day of the game, India got all out after scoring 234 runs before the lunch break.