“He tried to execute his plan” - Ravichandran Ashwin defends Shardul Thakur’s 25-run over vs New Zealand in first ODI
Ravichandran Ashwin has defended Shardul Thakur, who conceded 25 runs in the 40th over against New Zealand in the first ODI in Auckland on Thursday (November 25).
The ace spinner said that the pacer only tried to execute his plan, which was the right thing to do during the over. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said:
“The 40th over bowled by Shardul Thakur was the talking point on various platforms. He gave away 25 runs. I don’t think Shardul Thakur made any mistake."
He continued:
"Every ball in that over to Tom Latham was bowled short. Last over of the field restrictions. On another day, things would have been different. He tried to execute his plan, and his plan was right.”
Ashwin feels taking wickets is the only way to stop the opposition from scoring runs in the last ten overs, which is very important in the 50-over format heading into the 2023 World Cup.
He said that India had enough runs to defend in the last 11 overs, but they couldn’t take the wickets, resulting in a seven-wicket loss.
“If you look at the match reports at the end of the game, it says New Zealand required around 90 runs in the last 11 overs. New Zealand were the firm favorite at that stage.
He added:
"In modern-day cricket, 90 runs in the last 11 overs will be very, very difficult to stop with seven wickets in hand. So, taking wickets will be the only way to stop.”
For the uninitiated, Tom Latham (145*) and Kane Williamson (94*) starred in an unbeaten 221-run partnership for the fourth wicket after the hosts were reduced to 88-3 while chasing 307.
“Easier said than done” – Ravichandran Ashwin on ‘Stick to the process’
Ashwin, meanwhile, said that former India captain MS Dhoni’s idea of sticking to the process is a lot easier to say than executing it.
He reckons the Indian players face a lot of pressure, as they're expected to perform consistently on the biggest stage.
Mahi said -
the process is more important than the result, the result is just a by-product of the process.
@msdhoni @ChennaiIPL #mahi #msdhoni #CSKvDC https://t.co/o5pfUuftF8
He said:
“‘MS Dhoni always says, ‘We should always stick to the process, and never worry about the results.’ It is a very easily said line. One can easily say to follow the process instead of worrying about results.”
The veteran took the example of India’s loss against New Zealand in the opening game. He pointed out that the Men in Blue ticked multiple boxes by scoring 96 runs in the last ten overs despite Shardul Thakur’s 25-run 40th over, but that didn't result in a win.
“With the amount of pressure an Indian cricketer goes through and the expectation from an India fan, it is easier said than done talking about the process. We have just lost an ODI, and there will be plenty of analysis done about this one loss.”
Shikhar Dhawan and Co. will next be in action in the third ODI in Christchurch on Wednesday (November 30). The second ODI in Hamilton was abandoned due to rain. India are 1-0 behind in the series.