During the first innings of the Adelaide Test between Australia and India, Ashwin Ravichandran was at his brilliant best as claimed 4/55 t...
During the first innings of the Adelaide Test between Australia and India, Ashwin Ravichandran was at his brilliant best as claimed 4/55 to help India restrict Australia to 191. Almost everyone had expected the pace bowlers to rule the roost with the pink ball but Ashwin bowled beautifully to take the wickets of Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon.
The manner in which he set up the batsmen particularly delighted former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar, but he used that to raise a larger point about the off-spinner is always under pressure to prove his worth to the side.
In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar wrote: “Ashwin bowled beautifully as the Aussie batsmen struggled to read him. The way he got Steve Smith out was a joy to behold.”
Ashwin got Australia’s best batsman with a floater that went straight and Smith was squared up when looking to play with the spin. Rahane, at first slip, took the catch.
But then again, Gavaskar couldn’t quite make sense of why Ashwin keeps getting sidelined at the first available opportunity even when established batsmen get a much longer run.
“For far too long Ashwin has suffered not for his bowling ability of which only the churlish will have doubts, but for his forthrightness...
