Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'His batting gets overlooked in terms of productivity,' Mark Butcher says Ashwin is a 'fine all-round cricketer'
India vs England: Speaking on Star Sports during the Lunch break on Day 3, Butcher said that Ashwin is a fine all-round cricketer, whose batting gets overlooked.
Former England cricketer Mark Butcher praised India off-spinner R Ashwin for his aggressive approach with the bat on Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Chennai. India lost five wickets early in the day's play, but Ashwin started counter-attacking against England spinners, and stitched a solid partnership with captain Virat Kohli.
Speaking on Star Sports during the Lunch break on Day 3, Butcher said that Ashwin is a fine all-round cricketer, whose batting gets overlooked.
"Ashwin has just come out very, very aggressive. Virat is playing in a very calculated way. It's very tricky to bowl to these players. The ball is getting a little bit older, which is not helping England and the bowlers are losing a bit of the fight," Butcher gave his assessment of the first session.
India vs England 2nd Test Day 3 - LIVE!
"Ashwin is some cricketer, isn't he," he went on. "He has taken a five-for in the first innings, along with the 6 wickets he picked in the first Test. He makes unbelievably valuable runs in the Test, he is batting at no. 8 in this Test match. He is a very fine all-round cricketer. And his batting gets overlooked in terms of its productivity," he further said.
Butcher further said that England bowlers started off well on Day 3, and showed how the Test could have played out differently had they bowled this way in the first innings.
"Having played a little bit of cricket myself, I can guarantee you this, it's much easier to come out and bat on a tricky pitch when you already have a lead of 200 in the first innings. It's much more straight forward. So, England showed how different the Test would have been had they bowled as well as they started off this morning.
"England's bowling in the first innings was poor. 329 was far, far too many runs to have been given away in the first innings. Rohit played well as well. This England team will fight, there is no doubt about it. Even if they are up against it in ways that you would not imagine, they would come out and fight.
"They picked up the 5 wickets, Ben Foakes was absolutely stunning, Jack Leach bowled quite beautifully to make life difficult for India's top order this morning. But eventually, the bowl got a little bit older, the lead keeps growing and India are having their way with England once more," Butcher said.
"It's going to be a tough day, England have perhaps exceeded the expectations a little bit, but India are miles, miles ahead. No one has ever chased 300 before here. If lead was 170, I would still be backing India," he signed off.
