Kevin Pietersen suggested that Ashwin’s pursuit of a personal milestone hindered his performance, leaving him just one wicket shy of reaching 500 Test scalps as India triumphed over England in Visakhapatnam.
Before facing England in Visakhapatnam, Ravichandran Ashwin needed to secure four more wickets to reach the impressive milestone of 500 Test scalps. However, despite India’s victory, Ashwin fell short by one wicket, remaining at 499. In the initial innings, he failed to claim any wickets, conceding 61 runs in 12 overs. Although he managed to dismiss three English batsmen in the second innings, he fell shy of the landmark.
Former cricketer Kevin Pietersen suggested that Ashwin’s focus on achieving this personal milestone may have affected his bowling performance. Pietersen highlighted that Ashwin’s strategy could have been more effective if he had varied his bowling tactics, emphasizing the need for more diversity in his approach.
“Ashwin was just chasing milestone. That’s why he didn’t bowl as well as he could have bowled. He did get it right on occasion. I thought he was way more threatening bowling wider outside off-stump around the wicket. I think he bowled over the wicket way too much to the right-handers. He can change bowling over-bowling around-bowling over more,” Pietersen said when speaking on Jio Cinema.
“I’m certainly never going to say that he hasn’t got it or the England bowlers have found him out. He is a tremendous bowler and he’s got some big breakthroughs. It is about the team; it’s not about the individual. He will want one more wicket and when he gets that maybe you’ll see him a lot more relaxed, the shoulder drops and I can just now get on with the game,” he added.
Pietersen further disagreed with the notion that England had figured out how to handle Ashwin. Despite Ashwin’s figures of 3/72 from 18 overs in the match, he became India’s highest wicket-taker in India vs. England Tests, surpassing BS Chandrashekar. His wickets included the crucial dismissals of Pope and Root, bringing his tally against England to 97.
Pietersen believes Ashwin will regain his form after reaching the milestone of 500 wickets, expressing confidence in his abilities. The former England batsman emphasized the importance of team performance over individual achievements.
Ashwin, known for his exceptional record at home, has 346 wickets in 57 Tests and 26 five-wicket hauls. Despite picking up 9 wickets in 2 games at an average of 36.33, he is yet to reach his peak form.
Last Updated on February 6, 2024
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