Ravichandran Ashwin "Plays With Batsman's Mind": Ex India Captain On What Sets Star Spinner Apart

19.07.2023 - 09:53 sports.ndtv.com

Ravichandran Ashwin was at his best in the first Test against West Indies in Dominica where he picked 12 wickets in two innings.

It was his eighth 10-wicket match haul, becoming the joint-most by an Indian, alongside Anil Kumble. He is also just one five-wicket haul in Tests behind Kumble's 35.

His dozen coupled with debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal's 171 enabled India to wrap the proceedings by the third evening. India's highest wicket-taker in Tests and JioCinema expert Anil Kumble praised the off-spinners massive effort, the best for any Indian in West Indies. "Ashwin plays with the batsmen's mind.

It is not just about the skills you have. It is also the ability to transfer pressure onto the batter which you could see in every batter that faced R Ashwin, you could see that in their body language," Kumble said on JioCinema.

cricket India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team 2023 West Indies vs India on Ravichandran Ashwin Anil Kumble India Dominica

Just days after the conclusion of the third ODI between India and West Indies, where Hardik Pandya slammed the hosts' cricket board for their poor facilities, veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has echoed the same sentiments. Ashwin, who isn't a part of the ODI or T20I series against the Windies, explained the nature of affairs in West Indies, highlighting how poor certain facilities are in the Caribbeans. The off-spinner even explained that with such poor infrastructure and conditions, it is going to be tough for West Indies to produce quality cricketers in the years to come.

"Bazball Against Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja And Axar Patel": Nasser Hussain Previews India-England Test Series

England are set to face India in a five-match series next year during the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. The games will start in January and go till March 2024. While for India it will be an opportunity to grab valuable WTC points against a strong opponent, England too will be raring to showcase their 'Bazball' approach on the soil of one of the most successful Test teams in the world. Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels that the travelling side will face a stern challenge against Rohit Sharma and company in India.

"Whether Their DNA Got Mapped...": Ravichandran Ashwin Taunts Australia On Drawn Ashes Series Despite 2-0 Lead

Just when it looked like Australia were within touching distance of an Ashesh series win, England played fearless crickets to level the Ashes series on a dramatic final day of the fifth Test at The Oval. Australia were well-placed at 264-3, chasing a mammoth 384 to win, and even had they come away with just a draw, that would have been enough to secure a 2-1 series success. But instead they suffered a dramatic collapse after a lengthy rain delay on the fifth day at The Oval.

On India Going For England's Ultra-Aggressive 'Bazball' Approach, Ravichandran Ashwin's "Culture" Comment

England have taken the cricket world by storm while playing the aggressive 'Bazball' brand of game. However, Ashwin said it will be tough to see India adopting such tactics considering the team has embraced a period of transition. "We are playing Test cricket really well. But we will go through a transition very soon, and things won't be easy during that phase," he said on his YouTube channel. Ashwin also cited the difference in sporting culture in India and England as another reason for the former not going the 'Bazball' way.

India vs WI: "Where Else Will He Bat?": Ravichandran Ashwin Defends Axar Patel Being Sent At No.4

The Indian team successfully completed their experimentation process in the West Indies ODI series, as a XI devoid of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, defeated the Shai Hope-led side by 200 runs to complete a 2-1 series win. However, the team received much criticism after their loss in the second ODI, where Kohli and Rohit were rested too. Several experts felt it was unnecessary with the ODI World Cup starting in October. There were also question marks being raised on the batting order with Axar Patel coming ahead of established batters like Suryakumar Yadav in the matches.

"Ravichandran Ashwin Will Run Through...": Mohammed Siraj Fires Day 5 Warning To West Indies

India pacer Mohammed Siraj is confident spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will prove to be more than a handful for the West Indies batters on the final day of the second Test in Port of Spain on Monday and help the visitors make a clean sweep of the two-match series. India, after setting a 365-run target for the hosts to level the series, had West Indies struggling at 76/2 at stumps on day four with veteran spinner Ashwin taking both the wickets on Sunday. The Caribbean side still has to score 289 runs to achieve an improbable win on Monday with the wicket assisting spinners.