'It's a death wish': Shashi Tharoor slams Virat Kohli and co for dropping R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami

Since the first Test, one thing that has remained constant with the Indian team is the team combination as they have gone with six batters (including the wicket-keeper), one spinner and four pacers in all the games. However, after a humiliating loss at Headingley in Leeds, where the pitch got better as the match progressed, there was a unanimous appeal to include Ashwin for the fourth Test.

Being the World No 2 bowler, fans, former cricketers, experts, suggested that he should walk into the side for the fourth Test at the Oval, which is a traditionally good batting surface. However, the team management and skipper Virat Kohli didn't want to change their aggressive template of four fast bowlers and only one spinner.

Thus, even though Team India made two changes in their playing XI but the pacers replaced pacers. Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur came in place of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, who had niggles and needed to rest for the game.

Toss & team news from The Oval

England have elected to bowl against #TeamIndia in the th #ENGvIND Test

Follow the match https://t.co/OOZebP60Bk

Here's India's Playing XI pic.twitter.com/zKHU231O69

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 2, 2021

Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor has echoed voices of fans and former cricketers, who were almost sure that Ashwin would have walked into the XI but wasn't to be. Tharoor slammed the Indian team saying that you have to play your five best bowlers and they are wishing to lose, having left out both Ashwin and Shami at one of the most spin-friendly pitches in England.

"I can't believe they left out Ashwin again, on England's most spin-friendly ground. This team is unbelievable. You pick your five best bowlers, @ashwinravi99 has to be the first or second name. Omitting him & @MdShami11 at the Oval is like a death-wish -- as if you want to lose!" he wrote.

England skipper Joe Root won the toss and chose to bowl first. Not just India, England also made a couple of changes to their playing XI bringing in Ollie Pope and Chris Woakes in place of Jos Buttler and Sam Curran.