Veteran India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin recently addressed comments made by Michael Vaughan, who described the Indian cricket team as 'underachievers' during a panel discussion on FOX Cricket. Vaughan, a former England captain, criticized India's performance in major tournaments, suggesting a lack of significant success.
Responding to these remarks, Ashwin, a nominee for the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year, took to his YouTube channel to offer a rebuttal. He acknowledged that while India has not secured an ICC trophy in recent years, their performance in Test cricket, particularly in away matches, has been commendable.
Ashwin highlighted the Indian team's resilience and capability to produce impressive results in Test cricket, especially when playing overseas. He expressed amusement at the criticism from Indian experts about the team being underachievers, noting a disconnect between these views and the team's actual performances.
"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 travelling teams in the vicinity. We have seen many great results," said Ashwin.
"After he 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," he added.
Moreover, Ashwin emphasised that critics often delve into unnecessary minutiae when evaluating the Indian team. He pointed out that the Indian cricket team has consistently demonstrated its ability to bounce back in series, particularly in the Test format. This resilience and fighting spirit, according to Ashwin, are testament to the team's capabilities and contradict the notion of them being underachievers in the international cricket arena.
"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 nitpick too much and get into unnecessary details. I think these are blinding us," said Ashwin.
"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.
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