Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran Indian off-spinner, fell short by one wicket of reaching the milestone of 500 Test scalps during the Test match against England in Visakhapatnam. Despite contributing with three crucial wickets in England’s second innings, Ashwin’s overall performance in the match drew criticism from former cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
“Ashwin was just chasing the milestone. That’s why he didn’t bowl as well as he could have bowled,” Pietersen told Jio Cinema. “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 suggested that Ashwin’s focus on achieving the individual milestone may have affected his performance negatively. He observed that Ashwin seemed to be “chasing” the milestone and did not bowl as effectively as he could have.
“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,” Pietersen said. “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.”
However, Pietersen maintained his respect for Ashwin’s bowling prowess, acknowledging him as a “tremendous bowler” who has made significant breakthroughs for India. He emphasized that cricket is a team sport and highlighted the importance of Ashwin getting that one more wicket to reach the milestone, which could lead to a more relaxed and effective performance in future matches.
Despite falling short of the 500-wicket mark in the Vizag Test, Ashwin’s achievements and impact as a bowler were recognized by Pietersen, who expressed confidence in Ashwin’s ability to bounce back and contribute further to the Indian team.
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