Ashwin Slams 'Underachieving Team' Tag, Highlights India's Touring Prowess
'We haven't won an ICC title, but Test record speaks for itself,' says spinner after Vaughan's criticism
In response to Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, who called India a "underachieving team," Ravichandran Ashwin has countered that India has been one of the best touring teams in modern cricket.
In a recent panel discussion on Fox Sports, Vaughan stated that given the resources available to them, the Indian cricket team ought to have performed better on the field, especially in the ICC competitions.
According to a recent statement by Michael Vaughan, the Indian squad performs below expectations. Yes, despite the fact that we consider ourselves the game's powerhouse, we haven't won an ICC title in a long. However, there is only one aspect of the situation, as Ashwin noted on his YouTube channel.
The 37-year-old star spinner continued, saying, "Our Test team has been among the finest touring sides this year. Many excellent outcomes have been observed. Many experts from within our own country began debating whether or not India is an underachieving team after Vaughan made that statement. To be honest, that made me giggle.
After that, Ashwin offered a different scenario for the first Test in Centurion, which South Africa won. "Let's do the opposite action. Was there any chance that South Africa would have been bowled out for 65 runs if they had chosen to bat first after winning the toss in Centurion? At 20 for three, even India was about to give up, but Virat and Shreyas' collaboration kept us afloat.
Ashwin further emphasized that India's series-drawing performance in Cape Town demonstrated the team's resilience in the face of difficulty. "This Indian squad has repeatedly shown that a strong cricket team with mental toughness and mental skills can overcome any obstacle.
We did really lose two WTC finals. I totally accept it. However, in a Test series, a turnaround is always feasible.
Ashwin also asked the commentators to treat cricket like any other sport.
"We must acknowledge that cricket remains a sport. In India, cricket is a religion and is discussed in every possible place.
"I think we focus on pointless details and critique and pick apart things far too much. These, in my opinion, are blinding us, Ashwin remarked.
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