Ravichandran Ashwin is arguably the best spinner in India right now. Yet, he finds himself on the bench during the Birmingham Test, just like he was in the four Test matches against England last year.

There was a lot of criticism from fans directed at skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri. But the situation has not changed much for Ashwin even under the new dispensation. New coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Jasprit Bumrah took exactly the same line that Kohli-Shastri duo had taken last year. There is no doubt the weather conditions predicted during the fifth Test dictated the decision, as the team think-tank thought it would be more prudent to play four fast bowlers, instead of three pacers and two spinners.

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