Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin severely criticized Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir for committing repetitive mistakes in the England series due to their lack of game awareness.
Shubman Gill has really made it count as a batter in England, as he now has the second most runs scored by an Indian batter in a single Test series. He also has the most hundreds by an Indian captain in the overseas tour. But he is no longer just a batter; his role has been magnified with the added responsibility of captaincy.
On the other hand, coach Gautam Gambhir has also not had the best of outcomes in the longest format of the game. His efficiency has been questionable as a strategist and coach in the red-ball format. Now, former teammate and retired spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised reasonable doubt on his abilities.
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Ravichandran Ashwin attacks Gambhir on lack of awareness and tactical acumen
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin clearly seemed dissatisfied with India’s poor tactics going into the final Test against England, as he claimed that the tactical acumen of the visitors has been at an all-time low in the series, due to which India is struggling despite some stellar shows with the bat and ball.
Harry Brook and Joe Root scored crucial hundreds that changed the course of the English innings. Currently, England trails by only 35 runs on Day 5, with Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton on the crease. England is on the verge of a 3-1 victory in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
“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 Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel, ‘Ash Ki Baat.’
‘You can’t make such mistakes’ – Ravichandran Ashwin blasts Shubman Gill
Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t seem pleased by Indian captain Shubman Gill’s tactics during the 195-run partnership between the two English batters. He recognized that bringing in spin early could have restricted the flow of runs, thus creating more opportunities for a breakthrough.
“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,” said Ashwin.
He further added, “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.”
Out of the 76.2 overs bowled by the Indians on the fourth Day, only 8 have been shared by the spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Despite all, Ashwin has shown faith in Gill to improve as a captain in the future.
He said, “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.”
India to reconsider Test selection strategy! Coach confirms
The Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has confirmed in the post-match conference after the end of Day 4’s play that India made some mistakes and would look to reconsider them after the tour ends.
He also rationalized the call over Kuldeep Yadav’s repetitive snub from the England series, as he cited the pitch conditions needed some added depth to the Indian batting order. India have faced severe criticism over their choice of the pacers trio on repeated occasions.
