"The England batsmen will have to find a way of putting pressure back on R Ashwin" - Ian Bell
Ian Bell has opined that the England batsmen will have to devise a plan to put pressure on R Ashwin for them to succeed against him in the upcoming Test series.
R Ashwin is coming into the Test series against England on the back of some excellent performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The ace off-spinner will be expected to lead the Indian attack in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, who has been his trusted partner.
During an interaction on ESPNcricinfo, former cricketers Ian Bell, Sanjay Manjrekar, and Aakash Chopra shared their views on the best approach the England batsmen can follow to counter R Ashwin.
Ian Bell wants the England batsmen to mix caution with aggression and not let R Ashwin get the upper hand. He cited the example of Joe Root following a similar approach against Sri Lanka in the recent Test series.
"I think they will have to find a way of putting pressure back on him. So, they got to have the balance of being positive when the wicket is good and being as aggressive as they can be and looking to score runs and having a good defense. Joe Root showed how to do that in Sri Lanka recently but it would be that balance in their own way," said Bell.
Sanjay Manjrekar advised the England batsmen to play forward or back as per the length of the delivery and not just go on the front foot on every occasion.
"One tip for England batsmen to counter not just R Ashwin but all spinners is to play as per the length of the ball. There is too much commitment on the front foot, so that will get you into trouble. So, just look at the length and respond accordingly," observed Manjrekar.
"The England batsmen need to look to score runs against R Ashwin" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra also concurred with Ian Bell while stating that the visitors need to look for runs against R Ashwin and not let him settle into a rhythm.
"Let's start with saying - 'Easier said than done'. Because no amount of tips or tactics or planning is going to be a fool-proof method to neutralise R Ashwin. The only thing I will say for the English batsmen is to just look to score runs. If you allow Ashwin to settle down and bowl at one spot for an extended period of time, it will be a matter of when and not if R Ashwin will dismiss you," said Chopra.
R Ashwin has an exceptional record at home, having scalped 254 wickets at an excellent average of 22.80 in forty-three Tests. But he has not enjoyed the same amount of success against England.
Although he has accounted for 42 wickets in nine home Tests against the Englishmen, they have come at a not so impressive average of 37.71. The lanky off-spinner will hope to set the record straight this time around.