Before their final warm-up match, India’s combination was probably set for their tournament opener against Pakistan. Given the ground and pitch conditions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, venue for Sunday’s game, an ideal bowling line-up would be two spinners and three pacers.
India's Ravichandran Ashwin bowls as Australia's Marcus Stoinis, left, watches during the Cricket Twenty20 World Cup warm-up match between India and Australia in Dubai, UAE, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. (AP)
The multi-dimensional Ravindra Jadeja is an automatic choice while most favoured the in-form Varun Chakravarthy to partner him.
But it’s never wise to write off proven performer R Ashwin. The off-spinner had been out of favour for the T20 squad since July 2017 until he was recalled by the selectors last month for the World Cup. He didn’t make the kind of impact expected of him in the UAE leg of IPL. Just when it looked like he would be pushed back in the queue to get into the playing eleven, Ashwin chose the final warm-up game against Australia on Wednesday to make a statement and stake his claim.
IMPRESSIVE START
While India put aside Australia’s challenge in the practice game after restricting them to 152/5, the talk of the day was Ashwin’s 2/8 in two overs. Handed the new ball by Rohit Sharma, who was captaining the side, the off-spinner made an instant impact with a double-wicket over. He prized out David Warner off his fifth delivery and took out Mitchell Marsh next ball, in the second over of the innings. When Sharma brought him back in the 14th over, the tall bowler conceded just five singles to Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis.
It is a performance that will get India’s think-tank into debating on the second spinner, going by the importance of an India-Pakistan game and Ashwin’s experience. If one looks at Ashwin’s record against Pakistan, it’s difficult to look beyond him. He played in the last three T20 World Cups, and each time he returned fabulous performances against the arch-rivals in India’s victories.
In 2012 at Colombo, Pakistan were dismissed for 128 and Ashwin was the most successful bowler with 4-0-16-2, removing Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal. In 2014 at Mirpur, Bangladesh, he opened the bowling and returned 4-0-23-0 as Pakistan were restricted to 130/7. Another easy chase saw India win by seven wickets.
In the 2016 edition at home, Ashwin was not at his best but still produced the goods against Pakistan at Eden Gardens. Given the new ball by skipper MS Dhoni, he returned 3-0-12-0 to help restrict Pakistan to 118/7 in the game curtailed to 18 overs each.
For his childhood bowling coach and former left-arm spinner Sunil Subramanian, the manner of dismissals against Australia, trapping Warner leg-before and having Marsh caught at slip showed “Ashwin is bowling a fuller length and has not lost his potency”.
The former India team manager said: “Quality like him is at a premium; he will make an impact wherever he plays. Just because he has been out of the T20 team doesn’t mean he is out of the set-up. He knows exactly what the game is, he knows what a high-class bowler he is. He will always be impactful. Whether he fits in the playing eleven remains to be seen as there are two other good spinners.”
Bowling with the new ball was surprising for him. “That is what he is most familiar with too. If you look at CSK (Ashwin’s first IPL team), he was most effective when he bowled with the new ball.”
Ashwin’s angle of delivering too impressed Subramanian. “The key is the trajectory he bowls in T20 cricket. The trajectory is much straighter from the point of release but since he imparts revolutions even with that trajectory, he will get the ball to do off the wicket.
“I will not be surprised if he plays only the semifinals and finals. His big match temperament, you can’t buy that.”
Back as the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Academy spin coach, he didn’t read much into Ashwin’s inconsistent showing this IPL for Delhi Capitals. “It’s only about what role he has been given by the captain. The role he was given in IPL from what I could see is to stop the run flow. He didn’t do a bad job.
“There are not many off-spinners in T20 because they are going to get slogged— ball comes in, the batsman extends his arms and the ball goes out. For him to stay relevant… he bowls as per his role.”
Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
