Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is in awe of Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan who dismissed Virat Kohli on his Ranji Trophy comeback after more than 12 years. Ashwin feels that the delivery to dismiss Kohli was an exception one. Also, he did not put the 29-year-old pacer in the same category as other ordinary Ranji Trophy bowlers.
"Himanshu Sangwan delivered a phenomenal ball. He is not an ordinary Ranji Trophy bowler. He is a tested performer. He is a gold-dust performer. He bowled an exceptional delivery. There was a gap between pad and bat, it was a class delivery. The ball deserved a wicket," said Ashwin on his YouTube show 'Ash ki Baat'.
Ashwin also explained why Kohli was deceived by Sangwan's delivery and what he needs to do to adjust to it.
"I saw him (Virat Kohli) batting. His bat was coming down a little faster. Sometimes, you have to adjust to the speed. When you face 140-145kmph bowlers regularly, you need to adjust to the pace. Time in the middle, nothing can beat it," the 38-year-old added.
Delhi win on Kohli's return
Kohli was dismissed for just six runs from 15 balls on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy clash. Sangwan bagged four wickets for 55 runs but captain Ayush Badoni led from the front with his 77-ball 99 to turn the game around. Sumit Mathur's 86-run knock and contributions from lower order helped Delhi post 374 on the board and take a 133-run lead.
Thousands of fans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium did not get to see Kohli bat again as off-spinner Shivam Sharma bagged a five-wicket haul to bowl out Railways for 114. Delhi won the match by an innings and 19 runs. They did not manage to qualify for the next stage but finished third in Group D with two wins from seven games and 21 points in their name.
Kohli back in action next week
Kohli will be seen in action again when India take on England in the three-ODI series at home starting February 6. The ODI-series will also help both teams prepare for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
