Five reasons why Ravichandran Ashwin bowled so many variations in the second ODI against West Indies

Ensuring his place in the side

Kuldeep Yadav has got off to a strong start and he isn’t the only competition for Ashwin

Although Ravichandran Ashwin played in the latter stages of the Champions Trophy, he was benched for the first two games of the tournament. He has only played 10 ODIs since the start of 2016 and it is pretty clear that while he is still a world-class spinner, he isn’t India’s No.1 spinner in ODIs and T20Is as he is in Tests.

Kuldeep Yadav, had a memorable start to his ODI career while leg spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Amit Mishra have also shown themselves to be incredibly effective in the international arena. With plenty of uncertainty surrounding his long-term place in the side, perhaps the addition of variations is a bid to ensure his place in the side.

If India are to play just one spinner, there is no guarantee that Ashwin will be that bowler. However, if he can show that he has variations that make him effective against every batting line-up and every condition, that might just guarantee his spot in the side and perhaps that is the primary reason behind the incredible amount of variations that he bowled in the second ODI against West Indies.