Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has slammed critics for taking a swipe only at the bowlers after the harrowing defeat to England in the first Test when Shubman Gill’s side failed to defend a 370-run total in the fourth innings at Leeds. Ashwin, who retired as India’s most successful World Test Championship wicket-taker last year, said that experts and commentators immediately turned their focus only on the bowlers, while the batters failed to shore up India’s totals to above-average scores on batting-friendly wickets.
India became the first side to lose a Test despite witnessing five individual centuries in the match across both innings, where the side suffered lower-order collapses. Captain Shubman Gill’s 147 was the highest score of the five centuries India tallied while putting up 471 and 364-run totals.
“Once 370 was chased down (in the first Test), I thought the commentary became a diss about the Indian bowlers. I felt that the narrative built was pointing towards how Indian bowlers failed to win the match. But with a little homework, many would have realised that in England, scores have been consistently chased down in 4th innings,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
‘Where are the daddy hundreds?’
“Batters should take up responsibility. I know batsmen are making runs. Yes, we had five centurions, but where are the daddy hundreds? We have to resign to the fact that there would be no contribution (with the bat) from the lower order. Our fast bowlers cannot bat, they cannot muster runs,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin also underlined the fact that India’s bowlers, behind Jasprit Bumrah, must look at emphasising control and economy rather than focus on wicket-taking at the expense of runs.
“In Tests, I think maidens are quite underrated. Ideally, I would be okay with Bumrah going for a higher economy rate, but others should go low. I saw a show where someone said Siraj was unlucky to not be among wickets. I do agree he bowled well in the second innings, but the economy rate, you can’t let go and hope that things fall in place. In Tests, you have to build your bowling gradually from Day 1, and the rewards will come in the final innings,” Ashwin highlighted.
“If you give away a lot of runs in the first innings, you tend to get conservative to stem the flow, and you won’t get wickets in this approach. If I was Morkel, I would tell the other bowlers not to do much since Bumrah is there. As the old saying goes, bowl three maidens, and you will get a wicket. Don’t you think a wicket would fall after three maidens in a row against this England side? Against this side, if you are giving two runs an over, it is as good as bowling a maiden,” he added.
