India’s former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has openly criticized the team’s approach in the fifth and final Test against England. With both sides still in with a chance going into the final day, Ashwin pointed out what he saw as a major flaw in India’s tactics, poor game awareness.
Ashwin Questions India’s Use of Spinners
India had England under pressure on Day 4, with a late breakthrough giving them hope in their defence of 374. However, Ashwin was disappointed with how India handled the crucial partnership between Harry Brook and Joe Root. He felt India missed a big chance to slow things down.
“Coming back to the topic of spinners not being used, I have felt in this series that there has been a lack of game awareness and in many ways, our tactical acumen both on and off the field. This is the main reason why England are ahead in this series and India are behind. We haven’t been the sharpest,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
Shubman Gill’s Captaincy Comes Under Fire
Ashwin did not hold back while talking about Shubman Gill’s role as stand-in captain. He believed Gill’s decisions reflected a tendency to undervalue spin bowling, especially in key moments when it could have turned the game.
“I feel Shubman Gill will get really better as the captain. He will learn. But sometimes if you feel that you can play spin really well, you will not bring spinners into the attack, and when you miss the moment to bring the spinners in these conditions, then the spinner becomes a really defensive option,” Ashwin said.
India’s Spinners Underused in Key Situations
Ashwin argued that Washington Sundar should’ve been introduced earlier when Harry Brook was looking dangerous. He believed an early introduction of spin could have stopped the momentum.
“When Harry Brook started taking it on, after 20 runs, you could have brought on the spinner to choke the run flows. From the other end, a pacer could have bowled. With all this in mind, Washington Sundar could have been brought earlier into the attack,” Ashwin added.
Tactical Gaps Prove Costly for Team India
Ashwin further said that mistakes like these should no longer be happening in modern cricket, where communication is easier and game planning is more data-driven. He felt that the team failed to adapt at crucial times.
“Making these mistakes is a huge gap. We don’t know whether the message is going from outside to the middle. We don’t know the dressing room talks. But in today’s day and age, these mistakes can definitely be avoided,” he said.
So far, India have bowled 76.2 overs in the fourth innings, but Sundar and Jadeja combined have bowled only eight overs. In the first innings, Sundar wasn’t used at all, and Jadeja bowled just two overs.
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