The 2023 ODI World Cup saw India bossing over their opponents until the title clash which extended their wait for global trophy. Despite the wealth of talent at their disposal, the inability to win an ICC title for a decade has led to criticism and former England captain Michael Vaughan even called India an underachieving side.
They haven’t won much in recent times. I think they are (underachieving team). They don’t win anything. When was the last time they won something? With all the talent they have, all the skill-set (should have won more),” Vaughan said on Fox Sports.
Also Read: Confident India Aim to Close Out Series in Mumbai
Following the conclusion of India’s South Africa tour, India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has responded to Vaughan’s comments.
Ashwin says while India’s strength may not have translated into ICC trophies for years now but in Tests, they have been one of the best ‘traveling teams’.
“Michael Vaughan made a statement after the first Test that India is an underachieving team. Yes, we haven’t won ICC trophies for years. We call ourselves the powerhouses of the game. But the Test team has been one of the best traveling teams in the vicinity. We have seen many great results,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin then took aim at critics from India who seemed to agree with Vaughan.
He pointed out how India batters performed on the challenging pitches in South Africa to make his case.
“After he (Vaughan) said that, so many experts from our own country started questioning if India is an underachieving team. Frankly, it made me laugh. Picture yourself. Just reverse the situation. SA batted first in this Test after winning the toss. If SA had batted first after winning the toss in Centurion, wasn’t there a chance they could have gotten all out by 65? Even India was staring at the barrel at 20/3, thanks to Virat and Shreyas’ partnership from there to save us,” Ashwin said.
The 37-year-old felt people tend to criticise ‘too much’ and get into ‘unnecessary details’.
“So, both cricket and Test cricket are differentiated by fine margins. In a country like India, where we talk cricket in every nook and cranny and consider the sport a religion, I feel we criticise and nit-pick too much and get into unnecessary details. I think these are blinding us,” Ashwin said.
“What we need to understand is that it is still a sport. The fact is that a quality cricket team with good mental fortitude and mental skills can make a comeback from wherever they are, and this Indian team has time and again proved it. Yes, we lost two WTC finals. I accept it wholeheartedly. But in the case of Test series, a comeback is always possible,” he added.
Comments
0 comment