R Ashwin - Time to give him a break

Ashwin’s confidence with the ball in hand seems to have dropped

On the recent tour of South Africa, R Ashwin was not able to contribute much as an all rounder. Many of the fans were hoping that he will strike in New Zealand and prove true to the expectations of MS Dhoni. But sadly, despite being given a number of chances during last 6 months, there is no visible improvement in his bowling. Pragyan Ojha would have been a better choice in my opinion.

Before we move forward, let us have a quick look at the stats of Ashwin. In the last 6 ODIs he has played, he has taken just two wickets. His figures have read as: 0/58 Vs South Africa (Johannesburg) 1/48 Vs SA (Durban) 0/63 Vs SA (Centurion) 0/52 Vs New Zealand (Napier) 0/50 Vs NZ (Hamilton) 1/47 Vs NZ (Auckland).

Although he had scored vital 65 runs in the third ODI against New Zealand, this does not relieve him of his responsibility as the lead bowler. Perhaps judging his recent non performance, former Indian spinner Erapalli Prasanna had categorically said on 23^rd December that R Ashwin should be dropped. Justifying his stand, Prasanna had said, “Ashwin should be dropped and Stuart Binny needs to come in. Ashwin’s problem is there are no variations in his bowling. His bowling has become stereotype.”

Prasanna had also disapproved of Ashwin’s “pause” before his delivery stride, saying, “It is of no use. It will work once but not every time. The batsmen are watching his action and waiting for the ball. Ashwin thinks he will leave the batsmen guessing by pausing in his delivery stride but he himself is left guessing now!”

Thus, not only the common fans, but even the former cricketers are thinking along the similar lines. Also, the bowling figures of R Ashwin do not support his place in the team. Apart from his recent failures, his bowling average in ODIs is equally disappointing. Despite being classed as an all rounder, his batting average in the 73 ODIs he has played is a meager 18.13. Likewise, his bowling average is quite high – 33.44. These are not the stats of a premier bowler.

R Ashwin has tried various techniques like the carrom ball and delayed delivery, but nothing has proved helpful. Many of the fans believe that had he remained focused on his basic power of off spin, things would have probably been better. He must realize that he is already 27 plus and this is not the right time for experimenting anymore!

Sometimes it becomes important that one is given time to re-evaluate himself. After undergoing a true assessment, one might be able to make a comeback in an even better form. Hopefully the management will review the situation and take an appropriate decision before it gets too late.