Team India lost the Leeds Test match by 5 wickets.
Indian bowlers faced criticism after the 5-wicket defeat in the first Test against England at Leeds. Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has given a befitting reply to these critics and defended the bowlers. In this match, four batsmen of India scored five centuries, but the contribution of other bowlers except the lower order and Jasprit Bumrah was very less. Ashwin called the comments made on the bowlers insulting and also questioned the responsibility of the batsmen.
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Team India: What did R Ashwin say about the bowlers?
Team India: In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that after the defeat in Leeds, an attempt was made to blame the bowlers for the defeat. He told that England achieved a target of more than 370 runs in the fourth innings, but it was not only the fault of the bowlers. Ashwin said, “After chasing 370+ runs, the Indian bowlers were insulted in the commentary. The story was made that the bowlers could not win the match. But the batsmen should also take responsibility.”
Responsibility of the batsmen and failure of the lower order
Ashwin questioned the batsmen and said, “We scored five centuries, but where was the ‘Daddy Hundred’ (big century innings)? We have to accept that there was no contribution in batting from the lower order.” He emphasized that the batsmen should also have played their role, especially the lower order, whose performance was disappointing.
Ashwin’s opinion on bowling strategy
On bowling, Ashwin said, “The importance of maiden overs is underestimated in Tests. I have no problem with Bumrah’s high economy rate, but the rest of the bowlers should control the run rate. In Tests, bowling has to be developed gradually from the first day, which benefits in the last innings.” However, he admitted that Indian bowling lagged behind in this matter.
