Ravi Ashwin rues India's 'lack of game awareness' as the final Test slips away
Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna put up an impressive fight late on Day 4 to bring the contest back to life at The Oval. However, the odds are still heavily in the favour of the hosts as the final India vs England Test approaches the last day. Bad light and eventually rain played spoilsport, pushing the proceedings to Day 5. England needs 35 runs to win the Oval Test and claim the series 3-1. India, meanwhile, still require four wickets for a victory and a 2-2 draw in the five-match series. Meanwhile, as the equation turns daunting for the visitors, former Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin has highlighted the loopholes in India's plan at The Oval.
Ravi Ashwin highlights India's shortcomings in the lead-up to the D-day of the final India vs England Test
Going into Day 4, India looked well-positioned for a win in the fifth and final Test. Siraj had sent Zak Crawley back in the last over of the third day with England still needing 324 in the chase. Moreover, India opened the day with quick scalps of Ben Duckett and the English captain Ollie Pope. However, the momentum shifted as Joe Root and Harry Brook settled in. Brook was dropped by Mohammed Siraj at 17 off Prasidh Krishna. That was the only chance that India created against the duo. Both the English batters completed their respective centuries, taking the game away from the visitors.
Ravi Ashwin, meanwhile, criticised India for their 'lack of game awareness'. The former spinner voiced his dissatisfaction with the tactical decisions made by India during The Oval Test. He pointed to a noticeable lack of situational awareness, particularly during England's chase of 374 runs. With Harry Brook and Joe Root building a threatening 195-run stand for the fourth wicket, Ashwin felt India missed a chance to regain control. Ashwin rued India's hesitation to use spin against England, calling out Shubman Gill for bringing Washington Sundar late into the attack.
“Coming back to the topic of spinners not being used, I have felt in this series that there has been a lack of game awareness and in many ways, our tactical acumen both on and off the field. This is the main reason why England are ahead in this series and India are behind. We haven't been the sharpest,” Ashwin said.
“I feel Shubman Gill will get really better as the captain. He will learn. But sometimes if you feel that you can play spin really well, you will not bring spinners into the attack, and when you miss the moment to bring the spinners in these conditions, then the spinner becomes a really defensive option,” he added.
Ashwin further highlighted that Washington Sundar could have been introduced into the attack much earlier, which might have helped stem the flow of runs and applied more pressure on Brook, who was comfortably dispatching the pacers. According to Ashwin, an earlier spell from Sundar could have helped India steady the momentum and keep England's scoring in check during a crucial phase of the game.
Ironically, this is not the first time that Shubman Gill is receiving flak for his use of the spinners. In the fourth India vs England Test in Manchester, it took 68 overs for Gill to introduce Washington Sundar who then dismissed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in quick succession. The young captain and largely Gautam Gambhir as the Indian head coach have been constantly criticised for their inhibition against using the spinners to their full potential in the India vs England series.
“When Harry Brook started taking it on, after 20 runs, you could have brought on the spinner to choke the run flows. From the other end, a pacer could have bowled. With all this in mind, Washington Sundar could have been brought earlier into the attack,” said Ashwin. “Making these mistakes is a huge gap. We don't know whether the message is going from outside to the middle. We don't know the dressing room talks. But in today's day and age, these mistakes can definitely be avoided,” he added.
