Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has expressed concern over Ravichandran Ashwin’s struggle to secure wickets during the current series against New Zealand. This comes after Ashwin’s recognition as Player of the Series in the previous two-match series against Bangladesh, where he had impressive performances.
While he finished as one of the top wicket-takers in that series with 11 wickets across four innings, Ashwin has found it challenging to maintain that momentum, managing only six wickets in five innings so far in the ongoing matches. Doull noted that Ashwin’s inconsistency has allowed Washington Sundar to surpass him in performance.
“Ashwin seems to be more focused on taking wickets rather than bowling with control. His line has often drifted towards leg stump or middle and leg. Over the last two Test matches, it appears that Washington Sundar has outperformed him, getting more assistance from the pitch,” Doull remarked during a broadcast on Sports18.
Doull further suggested that Ashwin might be feeling pressure from his recent lack of success, which could be prompting him to search for wickets rather than sticking to his natural bowling approach.
“He holds himself to very high standards, and when things aren’t going well, we start looking for small issues in his game. He might be thinking, ‘I need wickets,’ which can lead to a mindset of desperation. That’s something he really needs to avoid,” he added.
On Day 1 of the third Test in Mumbai, Ashwin went wicketless, finishing with figures of 0 for 47 in 14 overs. Throughout the series, he has been outshined by his fellow bowlers, including Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, with an average of 51.33 for his six wickets.
Despite Ashwin’s struggles, the Indian bowling attack performed admirably, dismissing New Zealand for 235 runs on Day 1. Jadeja was the standout performer with a five-wicket haul, achieving figures of 5 for 65, while Sundar added four wickets for 81 runs. Akash Deep also contributed with one wicket.
In India’s response, they experienced a late collapse, highlighted by Virat Kohli’s unfortunate run-out for just 4 runs. The team lost three wickets for just six runs and ended Day 1 at 86 for 4, with Shubman Gill (31 not out) and Rishabh Pant (1 not out) at the crease.
