When WI vs IND 2022 | Ravichandran Ashwin doesn't give you attacking option, reckons Parthiv Patel

With the World T20 in Australia less than three months away, India's squad selection conundrums continue to only compound. While the influx of rising batters and pacers took most headlines in recent times, the first T20I against West Indies at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy threw up questions about India's spin attack. The Ravindra Jada, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravi Bishop took the limelight with sublime bowling performances to restrict West Indies to 122, earning India a comfortable 68-run victory. Ashwin was the most impressive in the game, returning figures of 4-0-22-1. This was the veteran's first T20I since November last year, having been looked over for recent games against South Africa, Ireland and England. The 35-year-old had starred in the previous World T20I, picking up six wickets in three games, while the only other spinner in the squad, Arun Chakravarthy, went wicketless. 'Even so, former Indian wicket-keeper Parthia Patel believes Ashwin won't be able to make it to the upcoming marquee event, given the likes of Ugandan Canal and Kuldeep ADAV also waiting in the wings. “I see Bishop playing ahead of Ashwin in the next game (if India decide to go with two spinners). I don’t see Ashwin playing the T20 World Cup, to be honest. I would want variety in Kuldeep ADAV, Bishop and (Ugandan) Canal. Wrist spinners give that attacking option in between. Ashwin doesn’t give you that,” Parthia told Cricbuzz. The team selection for the first T20I surprised many across the cricket fraternity, given the unusual choice to field three spinners. Caribbean conditions are usually known to favor pace bowling, and playing three spinners there is simply unheard of. However, to India's credit, it was the slow bowlers that did lead the charge, combing for fie wickets while giving away just 74 runs in 12 overs and handing India a 1-0 lead in the series. Patel was highly appreciative of the bold tactical move, as well as the manner in which skipper Rohit Sharma effectively used the options available to him. You don’t see three spinners playing in a T20 or a one-day game. Tactically, India have been brilliant throughout this tour. 'Even in the last ODI, when they came in to bat after rain, they thought (more) rain would come, and they played like that. Today also, tactically playing three spinners, he stated. He made sure the spinners bowled at different times. We saw Ravi Bishop bowling four overs together at the death. Ashwin and JadejJada bowled in the first six overs. Usually, we see Ashwin bowling with the new ball, but not Jada. But we saw Jada bowl because of two right-handed match-ups. Rohit was on top of his game. We haven't gotten the result in the World Cup, that does not mean we were playing bad cricket. And I do not agree that we were playing conservative cricket, if you lose 1-2 matches in the World Cup, it seems like we did not take the chances. If you look at the games we have played before the World Cup, we won 80 per cent of those.