Ravichandran Ashwin has maintained momentum with match-winning spell against UAE in ICC World Cup 2015
Ashwin has maintained momentum with spell against UAE in ICC World Cup 2015
Ravichandran Ashwin’s spell of four for 25 helped India register an easy nine-wicket victory over United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 clash at WACA, Perth. Ashwin has bowled exceptionally well during ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and built on the momentum against UAE. Nishad Pai Vaidya writes about Ashwin’s performance.
Ravichandran Ashwin came to his own during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. On Australian tracks that are not known to support spin, Ashwin has bowled with great application that has paid rich dividends for India so far. Not only has he restricted the flow of runs, but has also taken important wickets to stem the opposition’s charge. Most of the focus has been on the fast bowlers and their performance, but Ashwin has gone about his job in the backdrop, providing crucial support in the middle overs. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
It is quite astonishing that a bowler of Ashwin’s attacking intent had not picked a four-wicket haul in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 game against UAE. That he has taken a three-for on more than a dozen occasions tells you about his consistency. He has been India’s frontline spinner since 2011 and has formed a good partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. Perhaps because they work in tandem, Ashwin has not quite got the wickets he deserved — but his wickets are valuable as any. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
Take the example of his spell of one for 41 against Pakistan in the first game. In his eight-over spell, he bowled total of three maidens that put pressure on the batsmen following a solid start. By picking the wicket of Haris Sohail, he broke the shackles for India and allowed them to put the foot in the door. Talk about the game against South Africa, and people would remember Mohit Sharma’s fielding that resulted in a run-out. But Ashwin followed that up with a three-wicket haul that shut the door on the South Africans. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
The match against UAE was more about building on that confidence and Ashwin carried it forward with another good performance. It may have been against a weak opposition, but one that would certainly help build momentum going into the matches ahead. Ashwin has found his mojo early in the tournament and India would hope he gradually ups the ante as they move ahead. Top 10 bowlers in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)