"Foolish Of Me To...": Ravichandran Ashwin On Frequent Drops From Away Tests

17.08.2023 - 04:39 sports.ndtv.com

One of India's biggest match-winners, Ravichandran Ashwin, has been at the center of a cucious playing XI selection case when it comes to away Test matches.

Despite being a capable batter, other than being a world-class bowler, Ashwin finds himself second in the pecking order, behind Ravindra Jadeja, whenever it comes to Test matches in SENA countries.

It was the same case in the World Test Championship final against Australia. While Ashwin had prepared himself to play the title decider in England, it was Jadeja who was preferred for the sole spinner's spot.

When asked about his frequent absenteeism in such games, Ashwin said that he is not keen to find out an answer as the selection isn't something that is in his hands. "How can I find an answer for that...It is foolish of me to try and think why it happened and how it could have been better.

cricket India Cricket Team on Ravichandran Ashwin Ravindra Jadeja Australia India

The Asia Cup 2023 is already underway, with four teams already playing a match each. While India and Pakistan are the heavyweights and favourites to reach the final, the other teams are no pushovers. Afghanistan cane be the dark horse in the tournament. In the last few years they have shown the capability to shine against more fancied opponents. India cricket team star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised their team. To add to that, he compared two of Afghanistan stars with Rajinikanth's character in the movie 'Jailer'

Asia Cup 2023: R Ashwin Finds "Even More Bizarre" Point In Pakistan Star Mohammad Rizwan's Strange Run Out vs Nepal

The Asia Cup 2023 got off to a cracking start with Nepal bowlers giving Pakistan batters a run for their money in the opening match in Multan on Wednesday. Pakistan were two down inside the first seven overs with only 25 runs on board. Then experienced duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan stitched a steady stand as Pakistan looked like heading towards a good score. Just then, with Rizwan batting on 44, the wicketkeeper-batter got run out in a strange fashion.

"If Someone Runs Out Kohli...": R Ashwin Pens 270-Word Post To Sum Up Non-Striker Dismissal Debate

Even things that are legal in the current cricketing universe, aren't always accepted by all parties. The non-striker run-out, despite being accepted as a fair form of dismissal in the rulebooks, doesn't get the validity it deserves. India's Ravichandran Ashwin, a staunch advocate of the dismissal, penned a 270-word tweet, summing up the debate around the non-striker run-out. In his tweet, Ashwin also explained what would happen if a top player like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or Steve Smith gets run-out in the manner during an important event such as the World Cup.

Asia Cup 2023: Angry Ravichandran Ashwin Blasts Those 'Degrading' India Players, Blames 'IPL Warfare'

With the announcement of India's Asia Cup 2023 squad, there have been debates ranging in social media on whether it is a good squad. While most expected names got a call-up, a couple of them missed the berth. India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is not part of the squad, is irritated at such discussions. Ashwin talked about two players who were selected in the Asia Cup squad to drill home the point. One among them is Tilak Varma, who is yet to play an ODI, while the other is Suryakumar Yada, whose ODI form has been very bad, a fact accepted by the player himself.

Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin Impressed By Bowler Running Out Non-Strike Batter, Sparks Debate

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has often been subjected to unfair criticism for running out batters at non-striker's end for backing up too far, reignited the debate on the mode of dismissal. On Monday, Ashwin posted a video on social media in which a bowler run outs the batter at non-striker's end -- a dismissal that is still a matter of debate despite it not coming under cricket's 'unfair play' anymore. "Winning dismissal," wrote Ashwin on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a laughing emoji. "More awareness and mindfulness required towards the closing stages of a game," he added.

Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin Impressed By Bowler Running Out Non-Strike Batter, Sparks Debate