"People only talk about his bowling" - Sunil Gavaskar hails Ravichandran Ashwin's heroics with bat in Mirpur
Former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar was impressed with Ravichandran Ashwin's performance on Day 4 of the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur on December 25. Gavaskar feels we often only talk about his bowling, but the veteran has shown mettle with the bat on multiple occasions, including today.
The ace off-spinner took six wickets across two innings of the second Test against Bangladesh. The 36-year-old came out to bat on Day 4 when India needed 74 more runs with only three wickets left. He scored 42 off 62 balls, hitting four fours and a six to take the visitors over the line.
For his crucial match-winning 42* in the second innings and valuable all-round effort in the second #BANvIND Test, @ashwinravi99 is named the Player of the Match as India win by 3 wickets 👏👏
Scorecard - bit.ly/BANvIND-2NDTEST https://t.co/cDH48bO2tR
Speaking on Sony Sports Network, the 73-year-old hailed Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer's composure amid pressure on Day 4. The 125-Test veteran pointed out that the former has five Test tons and is a highly capable batter.
"They both looked utterly calm there. The tension must have been unbelievable out there. But somebody like Ashwin, has been a fantastic cricketer. People only talk about his bowling but he has got five hundred and he showed how he got those. Terrific innings from him and a great partnership with Shreyas Iyer."
Gavaskar also observed how the pair played fearlessly, continuing:
"They took their scoring opportunities. They were not afraid of playing their shots, with Iyer in particular. That lofted shot over extra cover was brilliantly executed, forcing the bowler to bowl a little bit short."
Chasing 145, India stumbled to 74-7. However, Ashwin and Iyer's unbeaten 71-run partnership rescued their side from an embarrassing loss.
India strengthen their hold on the second spot in the WTC standings after Ravichandran Ashwin's exploits
With a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh, the Men in Blue have solidified their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, with Australia on top.
𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙎 👏👏
#TeamIndia | #BANvIND https://t.co/NFte0lKgbg
They have four more Tests against Australia at home in the current WTC cycle. The series will start on February 9 as they aim to reach the final for the second consecutive time.