"You cannot keep Ashwin out of the game for too long" - RP Singh lauds Ravichandran Ashwin's spell on Day 3 of the 4th IND vs ENG Test
Former India pacerRP Singh has lauded Ravichandran Ashwin for rising to the occasion at a crunch moment in the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi.
Ashwin registered figures of 5/51 in 15.5 overs as India bowled England out for 145 in their second innings on Day 3 (Sunday, February 25). The hosts ended the day at 40 for no loss in their second essay, needing a further 152 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, RP Singh praised Ravichandran Ashwin for delivering the goods after enduring a lean series so far. He elaborated:
"R Ashwin wasn't having a good series in terms of his bowling performances but we knew that you cannot keep Ashwin out of the game for too long. He will have an impact and he made an impact here. We needed wicket-taking bowling here and Ashwin did that."
The former India pacer appreciated Rohit Sharma for using the wily spinner with the new ball.
"I thought they would get the fast bowlers to bowl at the start but the captain took the right call in getting Ashwin to bowl. The important thing is to get wickets and for that, to create circumstances and to read the wicket. The captain did all of that and Ashwin lived up to that," Singh stated.
Akash Deep picked up three wickets with the new ball in England's first innings. However, Rohit opted to start the attack with Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the second innings. The move yielded great results as the off-spinner dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope off successive deliveries in his third over to put the visitors on the back foot.
"Joe Root was a big wicket" - RP Singh on Ravichandran Ashwin's dismissal of the first-innings centurion
RP Singh termed Ravichandran Ashwin's dismissal of Joe Root a crucial scalp.
"He bowled well and was slightly lucky as well in getting wickets. He dismissed Ben Duckett, that was a good ball. Joe Root was a big wicket. It is a skill to bowl around the wickets and make the ball pitch in line, which would have then gone on to hit the stumps," he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the veteran spinner used the around-the-wicket angle perfectly to get rid of the former England skipper.
"He used the angle in such a way that the ball fell in that strip and you got success. So it was fantastic bowling. A big-match player gave a good performance at an important time," Singh added.
Ashwin's dismissals of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Root reduced England to 65/3. The most successful Test bowler on Indian soil later picked up Ben Foakes and James Anderson's wickets to complete his five-wicket haul.