India’s former veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said he is not convinced with the team’s bowling, which they picked for the opening clash of the Asia Cup against the UAE at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Wednesday. 

India played with only one frontline pacer in Jasprit Bumrah, whereas they included seam bowling all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube in the team. Pandya opened the innings with Bumrah, whereas Dube picked three wickets while bowling in the middle overs.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep is India’s most successful T20I bowler with 99 wickets and his omission was surprising. In Singh’s absence, India backed three spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel.

Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “It’s surprising that Arshdeep has been dropped, but it’s not a new thing. Has been happening since Gautam Gambhir started coaching. Arshdeep did not play the entire Champions Trophy as well. It has been a bit of a theme. Maybe considering Dubai conditions, they are preferring spinners. When Gambhir won the title for KKR, he was also going all-out on spin.

“This is the theme that we could see until the T20 World Cup. But I doubt this combination can work against a good team. It’s quite risky. Arshdeep is a big performer. He was phenomenal in the World Cup against South Africa. To keep a man like that out for a very long time is going to be hard. I know Shivam Dube took a few wickets, but this is not a bowling combination I would be convinced with,” the 38-year-old added.

Ashwin urged Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff to play Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI against Pakistan.

“The rest of the bowlers will be targeted, so you need a good bowler to get through those overs. The World Cup looks a bit far away now. But you never know, if you can’t fix these combinations… Arshdeep is high quality and you have to play him.”

India will next take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, on Sunday.