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Ashwin exposes Ben Stokes' vulnerability vs off-spinners amid England's Ashes debacle: ‘Is this question being asked?’
Ashwin expanded on the technical flaws he sees in several top overseas batters while facing spin, using Ben Stokes and others as examples.
Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin broke down England Test captain Ben Stokes’ difficulties against off-spin following another disappointing Ashes campaign Down Under. England once again failed to offer sustained resistance in the series and, after losing the first three Tests, were effectively ruled out of contention. The much-hyped Bazball approach fell flat when it mattered most, as England squandered another chance to compete strongly against a top Test side in challenging conditions. Stokes was dismissed by Nathan Lyon in the third Ashes Test, where England suffered another loss.
Ashwin weighed in on Stokes’ ongoing struggles against off-spin, backing his views with a strong personal record against the England skipper. The Indian spinner has dismissed Stokes 13 times in Test cricket across the 29 occasions they have faced each other, giving him a unique insight into the matchup. Drawing from those battles, Ashwin broke down the technical reasons behind Stokes’ difficulties against quality spin, while still acknowledging his fighting spirit and impact as a match-winner.
“Ben Stokes has been getting out to off-spinners for as long as I’ve been bowling and watching him. Is this question being asked? He is a fabulous player with the right attitude, but you cannot play spin in the same way you play fast bowling. You have to watch the ball out of the hand. The theory of playing spin is to get to the pitch of the ball. If you don’t do that, you’re always vulnerable,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
“Players like Stokes, Duckett's defensive technique against spin isn’t right”
Ashwin further expanded on the technical flaws he sees in several top overseas batters while facing spin, using Ben Stokes and others as examples. Drawing from his vast experience in Test cricket, Ashwin explained how an over-reliance on sweeps and reverse sweeps often masks deeper issues in defensive technique against quality spin bowling.
“I’m seeing many western players like Ben Stokes, Ben Duckett and Aiden Markram sweeping or reverse-sweeping because their defensive technique against spin isn’t right. The moment you commit to the sweep, you’re picking the line early and trying to defend it, instead of reading what the ball is doing and getting to it,” he said.
