Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly had heaps of praise for all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin as the latter have scored a crucial unbeaten fifty to keep India’s chances alive in the ongoing Mohali test against England.
Dada has also said that the top order batsmen should learn a thing or two from the No.1 all-rounder Ashwin as a sudden flurry of wickets saw India slump from a commendable position in the match.
“This was not the first time. Ashwin has done that number of times and he keeps doing it. He has got such good technique and such good footwork on the crease. His batting looks so easy.
“He has been remarkable with the bat since the tour of West Indies. He has just got better and better. The best part of batting is that every time India need him, he stands up and delivers. It has been a remarkable performance from Ashwin,” Ganguly told India Today.
Pujara, Rahane and Karun Nair were all dismissed quickly after tea as India slumped from 149/2 to 157/5 making things difficult as India were still trailing over 120 runs at that time. Ravichandran Ashwin along with Kohli and later Jadeja has ensured that India can post a good lead going into the third day of the game.
“The top order batsmen should learn from him how to bat when the team requires. Most of them have done it, the likes of Pujara and Kohli. Rahane is probably having a tough time in the series but that happens with anyone. He is a quality player.
“It is a comfortable situation for India when a batsman coming in a No.6 or No.7 who is so consistent and who does it every time under pressure, it’s a comforting thing for top order as well.”
“His batting has improved by leaps and bounds and when you see him play he is technically so sound. The biggest challenge for him will have the effectiveness with his bowling when travels abroad. His past record hasn’t shown that. A number of wickets he has got in India is a lot more than away from the subcontinent. He has become a lot more experienced since he last travelled to Australia or England. He seems very happy to play under Virat Kohli’s leadership. From that point of view, he knows he is India’s go-to man, the most valuable player. That is a huge confidence boost for any player.”
Sourav Ganguly has also backed out of form Ajinkya Rahane, who has found it tough in the ongoing test series, to be amongst the runs as he believes the right-hander is on par with Virat Kohli in tests.
“Ajinkya Rahane is as good a player as Kohli in Test cricket for India. It is just a patch of three Test matches where he has struggled. He just needs to take it out of his head. He is a very intense cricketer. There should not be a worry regarding his place in India’s Test side and it is just a matter of time.”