Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has expressed his disappointment with the team selection for the WTC final that India lost and has indicated that dropping off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin against an Australia team with five left-handed batsmen cost the country heavily.

“India had to bat big in the first innings to stay in the game, but they couldn’t. There were some good moments for Team India, but I fail to understand the exclusion of Ashwin in the playing XI, who is currently the number one Test bowler in the world,” Tendulkar tweeted on Sunday.

“Like I had mentioned before the match, skilful spinners don’t always rely on turning tracks, they use drift in the air and bounce off the surface to disguise their variations. Not to forget, Australia had 5 left-handers out of their top 8 batters.”

Ashwin has an outstanding record of 61 wickets in 13 Tests to his credit.

Ashwin’s omission from the playing XI was defended by coach Rahul Dravid, who said that overcast conditions forced them to go for a fourth specialist seamer.

Australia beat India by 209 runs after having scored a massive 469 in the first innings to dominate the game.