The main force behind India’s victory against Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai was all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin’s all-around performance, which included his sixth Test century and an incredible six-wicket haul in the game’s first and fourth innings, earned him the Player of the Match award.
Former English spinner Monty Panesar offered his thoughts on the stance the England and Wales Cricket Board would have adopted if Ashwin had been an English player.
“They do more experimenting. They would have advised Ashwin to retire if he were an Englishman today since they want to bring in fresh players with potential. However, I believe that England experiments more because they enjoy doing it,” Panesar said, according to NDTV Sports.
This is concerning since Panesar’s old teammate, the illustrious James Anderson, was essentially pushed out of the red-ball setup by the head coach and managing director, even though he made it very evident that he wanted to play more than he was ultimately able to.
Former English cricket, David Lloyd, had written on the same in his column previously.
“Due to his advanced age, he had to leave. It is unacceptable that someone has been stopped for that reason in this inclusive day. Let me tell you, reader: I understand how you feel. In his piece, Lloyd had wrote, “Inclusivity, my arse.”
I think I see Nathan Lyon in my opinion: Monty Panesar
In addition, Panesar—who was a threat to opposing hitters when he was a player—shared his assessment of Nathan Lyon vs Ashwin’s superior spinner.
“I believe that I see Nathan Lyon. He is a superior bowler, yes. However, I believe Ashwin to be India’s better bowler. “When he bowls, I believe he thinks like a batter,” Panesar continued.
Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin exposes the vast contrast between Gautam Gambhir’s and Rahul Dravid’s coaching philosophies
The Indian bowling all-rounder, who is currently in his 101st Test match, is a fixture in the longest format, but it’s unclear how long he will be around given the rise of some spinners, as demonstrated by the just finished Duleep Trophy.
Home