Ashwin brushes
off World T20 criticism
When it was offered that MS
Dhoni, the India captain, had said R Ashwin had struggled with the dew, the
offspinner flatly responded: "I don't know what he said."
India offspinner R Ashwin
has sought to put in perspective his performance in the World T20 semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai, and even made a thinly-veiled observation that he didn't get the chance to bowl more despite creating wicket-taking opportunities.
has sought to put in perspective his performance in the World T20 semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai, and even made a thinly-veiled observation that he didn't get the chance to bowl more despite creating wicket-taking opportunities.
When a journalist remarked that Ashwin had "struggled" with
the dew in the semi-final, he quickly interjected to ask, "You mean with
the ball?" After the journalist replied in the affirmative, Ashwin said he
wasn't well placed to answer the question as he hadn't bowled when the dew had
set in.
"It's better you ask someone who actually bowled [when there was
dew]. To be very honest, I don't know how it felt," Ashwin said on the eve
of the opening match of IPL 2016 between his team, Rising Pune Supergiants, and
Mumbai Indians. "It's very amusing because for the first 12 balls I bowled
I created a wicket-opportunity as well. It's quite surprising the way you
phrase your question." When it was offered that MS Dhoni, the captain, had
said Ashwin had struggled with the dew, he flatly responded: "I don't know
what he said."
India were defending a total of 192 that night. Ashwin was introduced in
the seventh over of the chase and he began by conceding only seven runs.
However, his figures suffered when Johnson Charles mowed him across the line
for a four and six in his next over. Ashwin finished with 2-0-20-0, but he
could well have picked up a wicket off his fifth delivery. Lendl Simmons, when
on 18, sliced a thick edge to short third man where Jasprit Bumrah took a fine
catch, but replays later indicated Ashwin had overstepped. Dhoni later blamed the
two no balls - Hardik Pandya bowled the other one, which Simmons had hit
straight down mid-off's throat- and the dew for India's defeat.
When asked if he had gotten over the disappointment, Ashwin gave a
convoluted reply to suggest that it's relatively less significant in the larger
scheme of things.
"The day I went back home my dog had a heat stroke. He had fits. It
just showed me what's more important and what is very, very important in
life," he said. "I didn't turn a piece of paper for the next three
days. So I haven't really read about what people have said. There have been
good enough journalists, and knowledgeable people who called me and said I
haven't' bowled a no-ball in ages, and to have bowled one no-ball I don't
become the villain. If that's the perception, I don't know how to counter
that," he said with a smile.
On the subject of physical and mental fatigue in the IPL, which begins
in less than a week after the World T20, Ashwin admitted it was going to be
taxing.
"It's going to be difficult. There is no hiding from that," he
said. "It's going to be little taxing mentally and physically. The thing
about IPL is that it's pretty fast-paced. If you get in and try to beat your
own odds, look for improvements during this time, it's going to help you as a
cricketer and hold you in good stead through the year.
"As far as I am concerned, IPL is a place and avenue to improve
your cricket. You have lots of down time to work on your game, the practice
facilities are international standard. These are the things you look forward
to. On top of it, it's one of the best T20 leagues going around. You improve
and try and see what you can offer the team."
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