After the drawn series opener and a 151-run win over England at Lord's, India succumbed to an innings and 76 runs defeat to Joe Root-led hosts in the third Test, of the five-match series. With the series tied at 1-1, both sides will come hard at each other to take an unassailable 2-1 lead heading into the final encounter.

Prior to the fourth and penultimate Test, former England captain-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain has suggested few changes for Virat Kohli &amp; Co. in their line-up. Hussain feels the Indian team should consider bringing in R Ashwin in the playing XI.&nbsp;

In his column for Daily Mail, Hussain wrote, "But what India do have is an off-spin bowler ranked No. 2 in the world and a batsman good enough to have made five Test centuries in Ravichandran Ashwin. He should have played at Headingley against England’s five left-handers and he must play at The Oval."

“So the most likely solution is that Ashwin will come in for a seamer, most likely Ishant Sharma who struggled at Headingley and join Ravindra Jadeja in a more balanced looking side with a deeper batting line-up as long as Jadeja recovers from his knee injury," added Hussain.

Earlier, many experts and former cricketers were left surprised when India went ahead with no Ashwin for the second Test at Lord's. The wily off-spinner is yet to get a game in the ongoing series, in the new WTC cycle, and will be desperate to get going and be among wickets in the final two Tests.&nbsp;

With the pitch at The Oval to be on the slower side, Ashwin can be the key player for Team India and help them stage a recovery in the series.

The fourth Test starts from September 2 (Thursday) at Kennington Oval, London.

After the drawn series opener and a 151-run win over England at Lord's, India succumbed to an innings and 76 runs defeat to Joe Root-led hosts in the third Test, of the five-match series.

After the drawn series opener and a 151-run win over England at Lord's, India succumbed to an innings and 76 runs defeat to Joe Root-led hosts in the third Test, of the five-match series. With the series tied at 1-1, both sides will come hard at each other to take an unassailable 2-1 lead heading into the final encounter. Prior to the fourth and penultimate Test, former England captain-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain has suggested few changes for Virat Kohli & Co. in their line-up. Hussain feels the Indian team should consider bringing in R Ashwin in the playing XI. In his column for Daily Mail, Hussain wrote, "But what India do have is an off-spin bowler ranked No. 2 in the world and a batsman good enough to have made five Test centuries in Ravichandran Ashwin. He should have played at Headingley against England’s five left-handers and he must play at The Oval." “So the most likely solution is that Ashwin will come in for a seamer, most likely Ishant Sharma who struggled at Headingley and join Ravindra Jadeja in a more balanced looking side with a deeper batting line-up as long as Jadeja recovers from his knee injury," added Hussain. Earlier, many experts and former cricketers were left surprised when India went ahead with no Ashwin for the second Test at Lord's. The wily off-spinner is yet to get a game in the ongoing series, in the new WTC cycle, and will be desperate to get going and be among wickets in the final two Tests. With the pitch at The Oval to be on the slower side, Ashwin can be the key player for Team India and help them stage a recovery in the series. The fourth Test starts from September 2 (Thursday) at Kennington Oval, London.

Should've played at Headingley and must play at The Oval: Nasser Hussain suggests one change for Virat Kohli & Co. for 4th Test

Virat Kohli-led India are on cloud nine as they step into the third Test, of the five-match series, versus Joe Root-led England with a 1-0 lead. The second Test, at Lord's cricket ground, was a topsy-turvy ride before India stunned England with a terrific all-round display to win the contest by 151 runs on the final day.&nbsp;

Resuming Day 5 at 181-6, India had an overall lead of only 154 with Rishabh Pant and the tail-enders left with plenty to do. As India were reduced to 209-8, with both the overnight batters such as Pant and Ishant Sharma back in the pavillion, England lost the plot in trying to unsettle Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, with their overaggressive tactics, as the ninth-wicket pair added an unbeaten 89-run stand. As a result, India declared at 298-8, setting up a challenging 272-run target for the hosts in 60 overs.&nbsp;

Charged up by James Anderson &amp; Co.'s aggressive tactics, Team India rose to the occasion and bundled out Root &amp; Co. for 120 to win the Lord's Test by 151 runs. This became India's third win at the venue overall. While India also had a 1-0 lead after the conclusion of the second Test, at Lord's, during their 2014 England tour, it went all downhill for the then MS Dhoni-led visitors who lost the series 3-1.&nbsp;

Hence, Kohli-led India will be wary of not losing steam in the remainder of the series and will&nbsp;aim for an unassailable 2-0 lead. For the unversed, the likes of Shardul Thakur, Hanuma Vihari, R Ashwin and Mayank Agarwal are available for selection. While Vihari might be considered in place of underperforming Cheteshwar Pujara, the latter's vital 46 in India's second essay at Lords might help him retain his place.&nbsp;

It will be interesting to see if Ashwin gets a look-in. Many had touted him to be a part of India's XI at Lord's. While two spinners might also feature, given that India's 4-pace attack is doing wonders, Ashwin can come in only at the expense of Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja has been effective with the bat, but remains wicketless with the ball in hand.

If India need to add a swashbuckling batsman in their line-up and surprise the English camp, Suryakumar Yadav might also get a look-in.

India's predicted XI for the 3rd Test: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara/Hanuma Vihari/Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja/R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur/Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

Virat Kohli-led India are on cloud nine as they step into the third Test, of the five-match series, versus Joe Root-led England with a 1-0 lead. The second Test, at Lord's cricket ground, was a topsy-turvy ride before India stunned England with a terrific all-round display to win the contest by 151 runs on the final day.

Virat Kohli-led India are on cloud nine as they step into the third Test, of the five-match series, versus Joe Root-led England with a 1-0 lead. The second Test, at Lord's cricket ground, was a topsy-turvy ride before India stunned England with a terrific all-round display to win the contest by 151 runs on the final day. Resuming Day 5 at 181-6, India had an overall lead of only 154 with Rishabh Pant and the tail-enders left with plenty to do. As India were reduced to 209-8, with both the overnight batters such as Pant and Ishant Sharma back in the pavillion, England lost the plot in trying to unsettle Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, with their overaggressive tactics, as the ninth-wicket pair added an unbeaten 89-run stand. As a result, India declared at 298-8, setting up a challenging 272-run target for the hosts in 60 overs. Charged up by James Anderson & Co.'s aggressive tactics, Team India rose to the occasion and bundled out Root & Co. for 120 to win the Lord's Test by 151 runs. This became India's third win at the venue overall. While India also had a 1-0 lead after the conclusion of the second Test, at Lord's, during their 2014 England tour, it went all downhill for the then MS Dhoni-led visitors who lost the series 3-1. Hence, Kohli-led India will be wary of not losing steam in the remainder of the series and will aim for an unassailable 2-0 lead. For the unversed, the likes of Shardul Thakur, Hanuma Vihari, R Ashwin and Mayank Agarwal are available for selection. While Vihari might be considered in place of underperforming Cheteshwar Pujara, the latter's vital 46 in India's second essay at Lords might help him retain his place. It will be interesting to see if Ashwin gets a look-in. Many had touted him to be a part of India's XI at Lord's. While two spinners might also feature, given that India's 4-pace attack is doing wonders, Ashwin can come in only at the expense of Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja has been effective with the bat, but remains wicketless with the ball in hand. If India need to add a swashbuckling batsman in their line-up and surprise the English camp, Suryakumar Yadav might also get a look-in. India's predicted XI for the 3rd Test: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara/Hanuma Vihari/Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja/R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur/Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

Will Virat Kohli & Co. include R Ashwin, Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur? Predicting India's XI for 3rd Test vs England

Several cricketing experts and fans questioned Team India's selection when they decided to leave out Ravichandran Ashwin from the Playing XI and went ahead with Ishant Sharma in order to replace&nbsp;injured Shardul Thakur.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/the-hundred-rashid-khans-pictures-with-afghanistans-flag-painted-on-his-face-go-viral-407396">The Hundred: Rashid Khan's pics with Afghanistan's flag on his face go viral</a>

Now, Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that was set to play the match but there was a change at the last minute that resulted in him sitting out of the match.&nbsp;

In his YouTube show, 'Kutti Story', Ashwin said: "The funny thing was, before the match, they were like, 'There's a heatwave. You please be ready mate. You might play.' Upon coming to breakfast in the morning, rains started lashing out. I asked, 'Won't you tell me about heatwave after it came? Why gave me hope only for it to end in disappointment'."

Even skipper Kohli mentioned that Ashwin was the part of the game plan for the second Test. "We announced 12 within the group and Ashwin definitely was part of that. But after looking at the pitch, the conditions, and considering how a fourth seamer can be an attacking option, this makes the most sense for us as a team," the India skipper had said.

Virat Kohli-led team impressed with both bat and ball as the side thrashed England by 151 runs in the second Test at Lord's on Monday to go 1-0 lead in a five-match series after just their third win in 19 Tests at the 'home of cricket' followed a rain-marred draw at Trent Bridge.&nbsp;

Several cricketing experts and fans questioned Team India's selection when they decided to leave out Ravichandran Ashwin from the Playing XI and went ahead with Ishant Sharma in order to replace injured Shardul Thakur.

Several cricketing experts and fans questioned Team India's selection when they decided to leave out Ravichandran Ashwin from the Playing XI and went ahead with Ishant Sharma in order to replace injured Shardul Thakur. ALSO READ: The Hundred: Rashid Khan's pics with Afghanistan's flag on his face go viral Now, Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that was set to play the match but there was a change at the last minute that resulted in him sitting out of the match. In his YouTube show, 'Kutti Story', Ashwin said: "The funny thing was, before the match, they were like, 'There's a heatwave. You please be ready mate. You might play.' Upon coming to breakfast in the morning, rains started lashing out. I asked, 'Won't you tell me about heatwave after it came? Why gave me hope only for it to end in disappointment'." Even skipper Kohli mentioned that Ashwin was the part of the game plan for the second Test. "We announced 12 within the group and Ashwin definitely was part of that. But after looking at the pitch, the conditions, and considering how a fourth seamer can be an attacking option, this makes the most sense for us as a team," the India skipper had said. Virat Kohli-led team impressed with both bat and ball as the side thrashed England by 151 runs in the second Test at Lord's on Monday to go 1-0 lead in a five-match series after just their third win in 19 Tests at the 'home of cricket' followed a rain-marred draw at Trent Bridge.

Ravichandran Ashwin reveals that he was set to play the Lord's Test against England

Virat Kohli-led&nbsp;team won the second Test of the five-match series against England by 151 runs at Lord's. A match that witnessed some heated on-field verbal exchanges between the two sides and a few incidents were even caught by&nbsp;stump mics.&nbsp;

The most highlighted was the one between Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah and England's James Anderson. It started on Day 3 when Bumrah bowled some short balls to England's star pacer while he was batting. One of the bouncers even hit Anderson on his helmet.&nbsp;

It did not go well with the England pacer as the incident led to an exchange of some words between them that was captured on the cameras and it also continued when Bumrah came to bat on Day 5.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-the-complete-video-of-james-anderson-and-virat-kohli-sledging-goes-viral-watch-407041">The complete video of James Anderson and Virat Kohli sledging goes viral - WATCH</a>

Now, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on what exactly happened between Bumrah and Anderson at Lord's.&nbsp;

During a discussion with India's fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed what went wrong and why Anderson was furious.&nbsp;

"The thing was, Jimmy was like, 'Hey mate! Why are you bowling so fast? Am I doing the same to you?'. The beauty about that is, looks like Jimmy had told Boom (Bumrah), 'All this while, you were bowling in 80mph; suddenly on seeing me, why are you bowling in 90mph?'," Ashwin said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-announce-their-squad-for-the-third-test-against-india-406920" hreflang="en">Cricket - England announce their squad for the third Test against India</a>

"So after the innings, the boys were walking back to the dressing room. Then, Bumrah walked past Jimmy and just patted at him, so as to tell him that it wasn't intentional. We all know Bumrah, he is such a nice guy. So he had gone to talk to him and end the matter, but Jimmy brushed him aside," R Sridhar explained.&nbsp;

"Brushing him aside, he told him, "You bowl only 85MPH to the other batters, you are bowling 90mph to me. This is cheating, I won't accept," he added.&nbsp;

Ashwin said, "The thing is, Jimmy could have stopped with asking why Bumrah bowled so fast at him. But he also left few words along with that (words that can't be disclosed on the show). That fired the boys up."

"Bumrah said he didn't even know what happened but all of us got together and told him what Anderson said to him and that riled us up," he added.&nbsp;

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Sridhar also explained the unwritten rule amongst fast bowlers as he said, "Previously, there was this unwritten rule amongst fast bowlers: The fast bowlers club. While one is bowling to the other, thou shall not bowl bouncers, beamers and extremely quicker deliveries. Bowl full ones and get him out. An understanding."

"Now that the club is all gone. That building has been destroyed and now they have even built a new skyscraper there. That club is gone now. Now if you bat, I'll bowl fast at you. If you can, you do too mate! That kind of an attitude," he added.

India&nbsp;won the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the series after the first match ended as a draw. India will play the third Test against England at Headingley in Leeds from August 25.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli-led team won the second Test of the five-match series against England by 151 runs at Lord's. A match that witnessed some heated on-field verbal exchanges between the two sides and a few incidents were even caught by stump mics.

Virat Kohli-led team won the second Test of the five-match series against England by 151 runs at Lord's. A match that witnessed some heated on-field verbal exchanges between the two sides and a few incidents were even caught by stump mics. The most highlighted was the one between Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah and England's James Anderson. It started on Day 3 when Bumrah bowled some short balls to England's star pacer while he was batting. One of the bouncers even hit Anderson on his helmet. It did not go well with the England pacer as the incident led to an exchange of some words between them that was captured on the cameras and it also continued when Bumrah came to bat on Day 5. ALSO READ | The complete video of James Anderson and Virat Kohli sledging goes viral - WATCH Now, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on what exactly happened between Bumrah and Anderson at Lord's. During a discussion with India's fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed what went wrong and why Anderson was furious. "The thing was, Jimmy was like, 'Hey mate! Why are you bowling so fast? Am I doing the same to you?'. The beauty about that is, looks like Jimmy had told Boom (Bumrah), 'All this while, you were bowling in 80mph; suddenly on seeing me, why are you bowling in 90mph?'," Ashwin said. ALSO READ: Cricket - England announce their squad for the third Test against India "So after the innings, the boys were walking back to the dressing room. Then, Bumrah walked past Jimmy and just patted at him, so as to tell him that it wasn't intentional. We all know Bumrah, he is such a nice guy. So he had gone to talk to him and end the matter, but Jimmy brushed him aside," R Sridhar explained. "Brushing him aside, he told him, "You bowl only 85MPH to the other batters, you are bowling 90mph to me. This is cheating, I won't accept," he added. Ashwin said, "The thing is, Jimmy could have stopped with asking why Bumrah bowled so fast at him. But he also left few words along with that (words that can't be disclosed on the show). That fired the boys up." "Bumrah said he didn't even know what happened but all of us got together and told him what Anderson said to him and that riled us up," he added. × Sridhar also explained the unwritten rule amongst fast bowlers as he said, "Previously, there was this unwritten rule amongst fast bowlers: The fast bowlers club. While one is bowling to the other, thou shall not bowl bouncers, beamers and extremely quicker deliveries. Bowl full ones and get him out. An understanding." "Now that the club is all gone. That building has been destroyed and now they have even built a new skyscraper there. That club is gone now. Now if you bat, I'll bowl fast at you. If you can, you do too mate! That kind of an attitude," he added. India won the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the series after the first match ended as a draw. India will play the third Test against England at Headingley in Leeds from August 25.

Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin reveals what exactly happened between Jasprit Bumrah and James Anderson at Lord's

James Anderson was seen engaging in a war of words with few Indian cricketers during the second Test at Lord's.&nbsp;

He also renewed his rivalry with Indian captain Virat Kohli on Day 4 of the second Test at Lord's as the duo got into a heated banter. Now, an old video of the veteran pacer is making rounds on the internet.&nbsp;

In the video, Jimmy Anderson could be seen shredding Ravichandran Ashwin's picture.&nbsp;

WATCH:&nbsp;

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The video surfaced back in 2019 where England's legendary pacer Anderson was found shredding Ashwin's picture on Twitter.&nbsp;

It happened after Ashwin's 'Mankad' dismissal of Jos Buttler in an Indian Premier League match. Punjab's skipper Ashwin ran out Rajasthan's Jos Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, without giving him any warning.&nbsp;

Buttler's dismissal changed the course of the game and Punjab registered a win and earned two crucial points in their first game of IPL 2019.&nbsp;

The incident was legal but it triggered the spirit of game debate across the cricket fraternity.&nbsp;

Especially, Buttler's teammates of the national team reacted strongly after the incident, like England ODI captain Eoin Morgan lashed out at Ashwin. He said that the Indian cricketer has set a "terrible" example for the young generation of cricketers.&nbsp;

James Anderson was seen engaging in a war of words with few Indian cricketers during the second Test at Lord's. He also renewed his rivalry with Indian captain Virat Kohli on Day 4 of the second Test at Lord's as the duo got into a heated banter.

James Anderson was seen engaging in a war of words with few Indian cricketers during the second Test at Lord's. He also renewed his rivalry with Indian captain Virat Kohli on Day 4 of the second Test at Lord's as the duo got into a heated banter. Now, an old video of the veteran pacer is making rounds on the internet. In the video, Jimmy Anderson could be seen shredding Ravichandran Ashwin's picture. WATCH: × The video surfaced back in 2019 where England's legendary pacer Anderson was found shredding Ashwin's picture on Twitter. It happened after Ashwin's 'Mankad' dismissal of Jos Buttler in an Indian Premier League match. Punjab's skipper Ashwin ran out Rajasthan's Jos Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, without giving him any warning. Buttler's dismissal changed the course of the game and Punjab registered a win and earned two crucial points in their first game of IPL 2019. The incident was legal but it triggered the spirit of game debate across the cricket fraternity. Especially, Buttler's teammates of the national team reacted strongly after the incident, like England ODI captain Eoin Morgan lashed out at Ashwin. He said that the Indian cricketer has set a "terrible" example for the young generation of cricketers.

Cricket: Old video of James Anderson shredding R Ashwin's photo goes viral - WATCH

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes that sitting Ashwin out for the second Test against England at Lord's was a poor decision by Team India.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ind-vs-eng-joe-roots-ton-helps-england-take-lead-over-india-405448" hreflang="en">Cricket - IND vs ENG: Joe Root's ton helps England take lead over India</a>

He felt that Ashwin would have given the Men in Blue an advantage heading into the match. Skipper Virat went ahead with four pacers and a spinner for the second Test. He replaced injured Shardul Thakur with Ishant Sharma, instead of Ravichandran Ashwin.&nbsp;

"I want to talk about the magician, Ashwin. How is he not playing? I’ve been saying this from day 1 that Ashwin needs to play at Lord’s. He should have played ahead of Shardul Thakur. He has variations, can bowl from different angles. He has the carrom balls, and the way the pitch is turning out to be – we saw this with Moeen Ali, we saw that with Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin has a good height, gets good bounce and the slope would have helped him even further," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

"No doubt the Indian bowlers bowled well – Siraj and Shami – but they need wickets. England is trailing by 245 and on Sunday, the role of spinners will increase. Ravindra Jadeja can contain runs, but Ashwin – who has bowled well and picked wickets on all kinds of surfaces – not including Ashwin I feel is a mistake by India. I hope that after this Test match, India doesn’t regret not playing Ashwin," added Kaneria.

Ishant Sharma played a crucial role for Team India on Day 3 as the veteran pacer scalped three crucial wickets to limit England's lead over India to just 27 runs.&nbsp;

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes that sitting Ashwin out for the second Test against England at Lord's was a poor decision by Team India. ALSO READ: Cricket - IND vs ENG: Joe Root's ton helps England take lead over India He felt that Ashwin would have given the Men in Blue an advantage heading into the match.

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes that sitting Ashwin out for the second Test against England at Lord's was a poor decision by Team India. ALSO READ: Cricket - IND vs ENG: Joe Root's ton helps England take lead over India He felt that Ashwin would have given the Men in Blue an advantage heading into the match. Skipper Virat went ahead with four pacers and a spinner for the second Test. He replaced injured Shardul Thakur with Ishant Sharma, instead of Ravichandran Ashwin. "I want to talk about the magician, Ashwin. How is he not playing? I’ve been saying this from day 1 that Ashwin needs to play at Lord’s. He should have played ahead of Shardul Thakur. He has variations, can bowl from different angles. He has the carrom balls, and the way the pitch is turning out to be – we saw this with Moeen Ali, we saw that with Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin has a good height, gets good bounce and the slope would have helped him even further," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel. "No doubt the Indian bowlers bowled well – Siraj and Shami – but they need wickets. England is trailing by 245 and on Sunday, the role of spinners will increase. Ravindra Jadeja can contain runs, but Ashwin – who has bowled well and picked wickets on all kinds of surfaces – not including Ashwin I feel is a mistake by India. I hope that after this Test match, India doesn’t regret not playing Ashwin," added Kaneria. Ishant Sharma played a crucial role for Team India on Day 3 as the veteran pacer scalped three crucial wickets to limit England's lead over India to just 27 runs.

Ravichandran Ashwin should have played ahead of Shardul Thakur, says Danish Kaneria

Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on the 'numbing'&nbsp;experience after&nbsp;losing the debut ICC World Test Championship final to New Zealand in Southampton. The Kiwi&nbsp;side pounded on Team India and dominated the match by 8 wickets to lift the ICC Test mace.&nbsp;

In a video blog on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin conceded that the WTC loss was especially frustrating for the Test-trained professionals, who had expressed that it was likened to the World Cup for them. Ravichandran Ashwin said in such manner:&nbsp;

“I felt that the Southampton match would be important to players. It would have been a great moment to win the World Test Championship final for those playing the Test format and ones who missed the World Cup last year. Certain things didn’t go our way. I thought the 6th day would be of no use, but it was useful, and we got a result.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mayank-agarwal-or-hanuma-vihari-likely-to-replace-injured-gill-for-england-tests-reports-395198" hreflang="en">Mayank Agarwal or Hanuma Vihari likely to replace injured Gill for England Tests: Reports</a>

Complimenting New Zealand for winning the debut WTC, Ravichandran Ashwin said:&nbsp;“They were well-deserved winners. They were in the game throughout, constantly swinging the ball. We gave our best shot. The rub of the green didn’t go our way. England is not an easy place to travel and take wickets or score runs instantly. We had a month’s break after the IPL and didn’t play any games. Not giving excuses, we gave out best sho,t but it didn’t happen, and it was disappointing."

"I was numb after the match finished, thinking about what had occurred. Indeed, even on the last day, I accepted we were in the match. The lbw of Kane Williamson, ball tracker showed the ball was absent. It was unforeseen. Match got over and it was disturbing. Clearly, fans are frustrated, and which is all well and good. A billion Indians were anticipating some uplifting news after the lockdown and such stuff. However, it didn't occur. Fingers crossed. Simply trusting we can win some other ICC competition," he said.&nbsp;

Ravichandran Ashwin ended the WTC cycle as the leading wicket-taker with 71 wickets in 14 matches. 
&nbsp;

Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on the 'numbing' experience after losing the debut ICC World Test Championship final to New Zealand in Southampton. The Kiwi side pounded on Team India and dominated the match by 8 wickets to lift the ICC Test mace.

Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on the 'numbing' experience after losing the debut ICC World Test Championship final to New Zealand in Southampton. The Kiwi side pounded on Team India and dominated the match by 8 wickets to lift the ICC Test mace. In a video blog on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin conceded that the WTC loss was especially frustrating for the Test-trained professionals, who had expressed that it was likened to the World Cup for them. Ravichandran Ashwin said in such manner: “I felt that the Southampton match would be important to players. It would have been a great moment to win the World Test Championship final for those playing the Test format and ones who missed the World Cup last year. Certain things didn’t go our way. I thought the 6th day would be of no use, but it was useful, and we got a result.” ALSO READ: Mayank Agarwal or Hanuma Vihari likely to replace injured Gill for England Tests: Reports Complimenting New Zealand for winning the debut WTC, Ravichandran Ashwin said: “They were well-deserved winners. They were in the game throughout, constantly swinging the ball. We gave our best shot. The rub of the green didn’t go our way. England is not an easy place to travel and take wickets or score runs instantly. We had a month’s break after the IPL and didn’t play any games. Not giving excuses, we gave out best sho,t but it didn’t happen, and it was disappointing." "I was numb after the match finished, thinking about what had occurred. Indeed, even on the last day, I accepted we were in the match. The lbw of Kane Williamson, ball tracker showed the ball was absent. It was unforeseen. Match got over and it was disturbing. Clearly, fans are frustrated, and which is all well and good. A billion Indians were anticipating some uplifting news after the lockdown and such stuff. However, it didn't occur. Fingers crossed. Simply trusting we can win some other ICC competition," he said. Ravichandran Ashwin ended the WTC cycle as the leading wicket-taker with 71 wickets in 14 matches.

Cricket: Ravichandran Ashwin says he was ‘numb’ after losing WTC Final

New Zealand's dressing area was loaded with celebrations after BlackCaps crushed Team India to finish the pursuit of the 139-run target to win the World Test Championship final.

That was the moment when celebrations started in the New Zealand dressing room while the Indian players were attempting to get over the shock of the loss. Ravichandran Ashwin as of late opened up about the loss and said he was numb after the match finished. In his most recent YouTube video, Ravichandran Ashwin said New Zealand players celebrated the success until late which was very hard to see for the losing team.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="Cricket: Kane Williamson reclaims the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s Test rankings"> Cricket: Kane Williamson reclaims the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s Test rankings</a>

He said: “After the match, New Zealand have this custom of celebrating with the trophy and a few drinks in the dressing room. It was tough to see it. I think it is the flip side of having a room above the ground. They celebrated until 12. They even arrived at the pitch, and it sounded like a war cry to express their happiness. It was quite upsetting to see as we couldn’t make it.”&nbsp;

Team India's next task is facing England in a five-match Test series which will check the start of the second release of the World Test Championship. The series commences on August 4 in Nottingham and before that, the team has been offered a three-week reprieve.&nbsp;

Talking about the significance of the break, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “We were in the bubble throughout. So, after a long time, we are able to get some fresh air and step out. I have rented a car, and I am just driving around the country. First, we visited Devon. It was a beautiful and picturesque place. We went at an altitude that connected the ocean and the hill."

"This break is important for us. We had a lot of time between the WTC final and the England series. Obviously, we will practice, but this break is good. It has been quite hard being in the bubble. We have been in the bubble for 1.5 years," he added.

New Zealand's dressing area was loaded with celebrations after BlackCaps crushed Team India to finish the pursuit of the 139-run target to win the World Test Championship final.

New Zealand's dressing area was loaded with celebrations after BlackCaps crushed Team India to finish the pursuit of the 139-run target to win the World Test Championship final. That was the moment when celebrations started in the New Zealand dressing room while the Indian players were attempting to get over the shock of the loss. Ravichandran Ashwin as of late opened up about the loss and said he was numb after the match finished. In his most recent YouTube video, Ravichandran Ashwin said New Zealand players celebrated the success until late which was very hard to see for the losing team. ALSO READ: Cricket: Kane Williamson reclaims the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s Test rankings He said: “After the match, New Zealand have this custom of celebrating with the trophy and a few drinks in the dressing room. It was tough to see it. I think it is the flip side of having a room above the ground. They celebrated until 12. They even arrived at the pitch, and it sounded like a war cry to express their happiness. It was quite upsetting to see as we couldn’t make it.” Team India's next task is facing England in a five-match Test series which will check the start of the second release of the World Test Championship. The series commences on August 4 in Nottingham and before that, the team has been offered a three-week reprieve. Talking about the significance of the break, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “We were in the bubble throughout. So, after a long time, we are able to get some fresh air and step out. I have rented a car, and I am just driving around the country. First, we visited Devon. It was a beautiful and picturesque place. We went at an altitude that connected the ocean and the hill." "This break is important for us. We had a lot of time between the WTC final and the England series. Obviously, we will practice, but this break is good. It has been quite hard being in the bubble. We have been in the bubble for 1.5 years," he added.

Cricket: Ravichandran Ashwin admits it was 'tough to see' New Zealand celebrate WTC victory

India women's ODI and Test team skipper Mithali Raj and men's team senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin are set to be selected for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.&nbsp;

The Khel Ratna Award is the most noteworthy sporting honor in India, while the Arjuna Award is likewise a renowned award for Indian athletes. It is the fantasy of each Indian sportsperson to win these honors.&nbsp;

According to ANI on Wednesday that Indian women's ODI and Test skipper Mithali Raj has been suggested for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna grant at the National Sports Awards 2021. Indian men's all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has likewise been suggested.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-it-was-a-different-feeling-kane-williamson-on-lifting-the-test-mace-394760" hreflang="en">Cricket: 'It was a different feeling': Kane Williamson on lifting the Test mace</a>

"We had a detailed discussion and it was decided to send in the names of Ashwin and women's Test and ODI skipper Mithali's name for the Khel Ratna. We are recommending Dhawan again for the Arjuna while we will also suggest the names of Rahul and Bumrah."

Ravichandran Ashwin has been outstanding amongst other all-rounders in current Test cricket, while Mithali is probably the best player in women's cricket.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who is now an Arjuna awardee like Mithali Raj, has likewise been a reliable entertainer for India in Test cricket. He has taken 413 wickets in 79 Tests other than 150 and 42 scalps in ODIs and T20s however he doesn't play for India in the more limited overs.&nbsp;

Mithali Raj keeps on being probably the greatest name in Indian cricket. She finished 22 years in worldwide cricket last week. The 38-year-old is additionally the leading run-getter with in excess of 7000 runs.

Men's team batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul and pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be suggested for the Arjuna grant. BCCI has chosen not to send any names from the women's group for the Arjuna award.&nbsp;

Shikhar Dhawan, who will lead India in the impending limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, is recommended for Arjuna Award. The 35-year-old southpaw has scored 5977 runs in 142 ODIs other than 2315 and 1673 Test and T20 runs individually.&nbsp;

Last year, five Indian athletes got the Khel Ratna grant. Rohit Sharma was the solitary cricketer among the five competitors.&nbsp;

Prior to Rohit Sharma, just Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar had won the Khel Ratna award. It will be fascinating to check whether Mithali Raj can turn into the first Indian women cricketer to get this honour.

India women's ODI and Test team skipper Mithali Raj and men's team senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin are set to be selected for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

India women's ODI and Test team skipper Mithali Raj and men's team senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin are set to be selected for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. The Khel Ratna Award is the most noteworthy sporting honor in India, while the Arjuna Award is likewise a renowned award for Indian athletes. It is the fantasy of each Indian sportsperson to win these honors. According to ANI on Wednesday that Indian women's ODI and Test skipper Mithali Raj has been suggested for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna grant at the National Sports Awards 2021. Indian men's all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has likewise been suggested. ALSO READ: Cricket: 'It was a different feeling': Kane Williamson on lifting the Test mace "We had a detailed discussion and it was decided to send in the names of Ashwin and women's Test and ODI skipper Mithali's name for the Khel Ratna. We are recommending Dhawan again for the Arjuna while we will also suggest the names of Rahul and Bumrah." Ravichandran Ashwin has been outstanding amongst other all-rounders in current Test cricket, while Mithali is probably the best player in women's cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin, who is now an Arjuna awardee like Mithali Raj, has likewise been a reliable entertainer for India in Test cricket. He has taken 413 wickets in 79 Tests other than 150 and 42 scalps in ODIs and T20s however he doesn't play for India in the more limited overs. Mithali Raj keeps on being probably the greatest name in Indian cricket. She finished 22 years in worldwide cricket last week. The 38-year-old is additionally the leading run-getter with in excess of 7000 runs. Men's team batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul and pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be suggested for the Arjuna grant. BCCI has chosen not to send any names from the women's group for the Arjuna award. Shikhar Dhawan, who will lead India in the impending limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, is recommended for Arjuna Award. The 35-year-old southpaw has scored 5977 runs in 142 ODIs other than 2315 and 1673 Test and T20 runs individually. Last year, five Indian athletes got the Khel Ratna grant. Rohit Sharma was the solitary cricketer among the five competitors. Prior to Rohit Sharma, just Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar had won the Khel Ratna award. It will be fascinating to check whether Mithali Raj can turn into the first Indian women cricketer to get this honour.

Cricket: BCCI nominates Mithali Raj and Ravichandran Ashwin for Khel Ratna: Reports

Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian off-spinner has expressed that he appreciates setting up a battle, which gives him the inspiration to progress admirably. He likewise added that he doesn't stay a lot into his exhibitions and consistently attempts to put forth a valiant effort.&nbsp;

Ravichandran Ashwin is India's fourth-most noteworthy wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 409 scalps in 78 Tests. He additionally has five Test hundreds to his name. He is India's most noteworthy wicket-taker in the World Test Championship, with 67 wickets in 14 matches going into the final against New Zealand.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-india-have-done-very-very-well-michael-vaughan-lauds-virat-and-cos-batting-effort-392679" hreflang="en">'India have done very well': Michael Vaughan lauds Virat and Co.'s batting</a>

In a video transferred on ICC's website, Ravichandran Ashwin examined his contemplations on his cricketing vocation. He affirmed:&nbsp;

“I believe in what I do or at least I believe in doing things that I feel are right. It is not like I enjoy controversy but I enjoy a fight and that’s pretty much why I am here, that sums it up.”

As indicated by Ravichandran Ashwin, he is continually seeking to improve, which is the thing that continues to propel him.&nbsp;

“The beauty about Test cricket is you are always aspiring to be perfect but you can settle for excellence. So that is pretty much what I think I do. In a way, whatever I have achieved in my career so far is because of that attitude to not settle for anything. I am constantly looking to improve. I have maintained that if I don’t like doing different things or if I lose the passion to do something new or get satisfied, then I might not play the sport anymore. I sit and think about what can be better” - he added.

As of late, Sanjay Manjrekar expressed that he doesn't rate Ravichandran Ashwin as a record-breaking extraordinary in light of his record in South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia. In any case, he remarked that he isn't irritated by others' opinions about it. He explained:&nbsp;

“I don’t read or dwell too much into my performances. If I had to satisfy people and get them to say good things about me, I’d be just spending my life doing that. It is absolutely wonderful that I can just ply my trade and feed my family with it and I get paid so well. This is a sport that gives meaning to me to live. I am too excited about it. I have no time for people rating me or not rating me. It is just another person’s opinion and that’s just brutally how I live my life.”

Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian off-spinner has expressed that he appreciates setting up a battle, which gives him the inspiration to progress admirably. He likewise added that he doesn't stay a lot into his exhibitions and consistently attempts to put forth a valiant effort.

Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian off-spinner has expressed that he appreciates setting up a battle, which gives him the inspiration to progress admirably. He likewise added that he doesn't stay a lot into his exhibitions and consistently attempts to put forth a valiant effort. Ravichandran Ashwin is India's fourth-most noteworthy wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 409 scalps in 78 Tests. He additionally has five Test hundreds to his name. He is India's most noteworthy wicket-taker in the World Test Championship, with 67 wickets in 14 matches going into the final against New Zealand. ALSO READ: 'India have done very well': Michael Vaughan lauds Virat and Co.'s batting In a video transferred on ICC's website, Ravichandran Ashwin examined his contemplations on his cricketing vocation. He affirmed: “I believe in what I do or at least I believe in doing things that I feel are right. It is not like I enjoy controversy but I enjoy a fight and that’s pretty much why I am here, that sums it up.” As indicated by Ravichandran Ashwin, he is continually seeking to improve, which is the thing that continues to propel him. “The beauty about Test cricket is you are always aspiring to be perfect but you can settle for excellence. So that is pretty much what I think I do. In a way, whatever I have achieved in my career so far is because of that attitude to not settle for anything. I am constantly looking to improve. I have maintained that if I don’t like doing different things or if I lose the passion to do something new or get satisfied, then I might not play the sport anymore. I sit and think about what can be better” - he added. As of late, Sanjay Manjrekar expressed that he doesn't rate Ravichandran Ashwin as a record-breaking extraordinary in light of his record in South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia. In any case, he remarked that he isn't irritated by others' opinions about it. He explained: “I don’t read or dwell too much into my performances. If I had to satisfy people and get them to say good things about me, I’d be just spending my life doing that. It is absolutely wonderful that I can just ply my trade and feed my family with it and I get paid so well. This is a sport that gives meaning to me to live. I am too excited about it. I have no time for people rating me or not rating me. It is just another person’s opinion and that’s just brutally how I live my life.”

Beauty about Test cricket is you are always aspiring to be perfect, says Ravichandran Ashwin

The inaugural World Test Championship has arrived at its last part which will see the two most steady groups in Test cricket, during the period between August 1, 2019, to&nbsp;June 22, 2021, take on one another in the culmination clash in Southampton, beginning June 18.&nbsp;New Zeland&nbsp;will take on Team India in a one-off Test match for the title.

The inaugural WTC final will be in England at Southampton, which places the bowlers in the spotlight. Here is a glance at the main 5 wicket-takers in the World Test Championship.&nbsp;

<h2>Pat Cummins&nbsp;</h2>

The World No. 1 Test bowler scalped 70 wickets at an average of 21.02 and a strike rate of about 47.6. Among bowlers who bowled in any event four innings, he had the best strike rate.&nbsp;

Pat Cummins was named the Man of the Series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy subsequent to getting 21 wickets throughout the span of the four-match series. No player took a larger number of wickets in the series than the Australia pacer, who indeed showed why he is the main positioned bowler in Test cricket.&nbsp;

He is known to bowl long spells energetically, precisely, and at a great pace. He has shown his superb fitness, abilities, and physicality. Pat Cummins moved the ball - tested the two edges of the batsmen, he bowled short balls and bouncers, he was deadly.&nbsp;

The Aussie Test vice-captain standing as the world's leading pace bowler in the longest format has been set up by his heavenly exhibition both on home soil and away from it. His assortment and cleverness make him an extraordinary resource for having for any skipper.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-indias-limited-overs-tour-of-sri-lanka-to-start-from-july-13-check-full-schedule-389957" hreflang="en">Cricket: India's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka to start from July 13 - Check full schedule</a>

<h2>Stuart Broad&nbsp;</h2>

518 Test wickets and then some, positioned second in the rundown of England's untouched leading wicket-takers thus considerably more. A legend that English cricket can be greatly glad for as of now.&nbsp;

Stuart Broad's numbers throughout the most recent 2 years have been amazing. He got 69 wickets at an average of 20.08.

Broad probably won't have plenty of highlights somebody like a Dale Steyn has as far as speed and perforation, yet the Nottingham pacer is caviling with his lengths and he is continually coming at the batsman. In the event that you mess with him, you do as such at your own risk.&nbsp;

Of late, Stuart Broad's vocation has been a serious ride, and there's nothing that can legitimise that better than how he made David Warner his bunny in the home Ashes series a year ago.&nbsp;

There is a genuine story of reclamation you can connect with Stuart Broad, one that uncovers his character and mental strength, and furthermore one that reveals to you why he is extraordinary of the game.&nbsp;

<h2>Ravichandran Ashwin&nbsp;</h2>

The expert spinner from Chennai will tingle to get the ball turning once more. He is the third most noteworthy wicket-taker in the WTC and given his new adventures against England and the Aussies, he will enjoy some real success on certainty.&nbsp;

Ravichandran Ashwin was excellent with the ball in the home Test series against England recently where he went out of control against Joe Root and Co. The willy off-spinner sacked a stunning 32 wickets in only four matches to help India skip back after a loss in the series opener in Chennai and dominate the four-game series 3-1.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2021-to-resume-on-september-19-in-uae-final-scheduled-on-october-15-389949" hreflang="en">Cricket: IPL 2021 to resume on September 19 in UAE, final scheduled on October 15</a>

Ashwin additionally had a noteworthy spat in Australia where he had scalped 12 wickets in three games. He drives the wicket-taking chart for India with 67 wickets in 13 matches in the World Test Championship.&nbsp;

<h2>Nathan Lyon&nbsp;</h2>

Lyon is Australia's third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, behind just Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. In 100 Tests, the 33-year-old has gotten 399 wickets with his best match figures being 13/154.&nbsp;

Known for his overspin and fires up granted ready, he is without a doubt perhaps the best spinner the game has at any point seen.&nbsp;

In the World Test Championship cycle, he has included in 14 matches and has stowed 56 wickets with an average of 31.37.&nbsp;

<h2>Tim Southee&nbsp;</h2>

Breaking into the senior New Zealand side as a capable teen, Tim Southee has consistently been a bankable alternative for the national team across all formats. Nonetheless, his type of late in Test cricket has taken him to an entire diverse level.&nbsp;

Tim Southee has been around for just about 10 years and-a-half. He probably won't scare batsmen like Pat Cummins or Jasprit Bumrah&nbsp;however in the new past, he has outperformed pretty much every speed bowler in global cricket.&nbsp;

Tim Southee is just the third pacer after Cummins and Stuart Broad to bag100 wickets in Test cricket since 2018.&nbsp;

His fantastic change has profited New Zealand, who are appreciating a glad run at the No.6 spot in the ICC Tests Rankings and will play the debut ICC World Test Championship last against India at Southampton in less than two weeks.

The inaugural World Test Championship has arrived at its last part which will see the two most steady groups in Test cricket, during the period between August 1, 2019, to June 22, 2021, take on one another in the culmination clash in Southampton, beginning June 18.

The inaugural World Test Championship has arrived at its last part which will see the two most steady groups in Test cricket, during the period between August 1, 2019, to June 22, 2021, take on one another in the culmination clash in Southampton, beginning June 18. New Zeland will take on Team India in a one-off Test match for the title. The inaugural WTC final will be in England at Southampton, which places the bowlers in the spotlight. Here is a glance at the main 5 wicket-takers in the World Test Championship. Pat Cummins The World No. 1 Test bowler scalped 70 wickets at an average of 21.02 and a strike rate of about 47.6. Among bowlers who bowled in any event four innings, he had the best strike rate. Pat Cummins was named the Man of the Series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy subsequent to getting 21 wickets throughout the span of the four-match series. No player took a larger number of wickets in the series than the Australia pacer, who indeed showed why he is the main positioned bowler in Test cricket. He is known to bowl long spells energetically, precisely, and at a great pace. He has shown his superb fitness, abilities, and physicality. Pat Cummins moved the ball - tested the two edges of the batsmen, he bowled short balls and bouncers, he was deadly. The Aussie Test vice-captain standing as the world's leading pace bowler in the longest format has been set up by his heavenly exhibition both on home soil and away from it. His assortment and cleverness make him an extraordinary resource for having for any skipper. ALSO READ: Cricket: India's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka to start from July 13 - Check full schedule Stuart Broad 518 Test wickets and then some, positioned second in the rundown of England's untouched leading wicket-takers thus considerably more. A legend that English cricket can be greatly glad for as of now. Stuart Broad's numbers throughout the most recent 2 years have been amazing. He got 69 wickets at an average of 20.08. Broad probably won't have plenty of highlights somebody like a Dale Steyn has as far as speed and perforation, yet the Nottingham pacer is caviling with his lengths and he is continually coming at the batsman. In the event that you mess with him, you do as such at your own risk. Of late, Stuart Broad's vocation has been a serious ride, and there's nothing that can legitimise that better than how he made David Warner his bunny in the home Ashes series a year ago. There is a genuine story of reclamation you can connect with Stuart Broad, one that uncovers his character and mental strength, and furthermore one that reveals to you why he is extraordinary of the game. Ravichandran Ashwin The expert spinner from Chennai will tingle to get the ball turning once more. He is the third most noteworthy wicket-taker in the WTC and given his new adventures against England and the Aussies, he will enjoy some real success on certainty. Ravichandran Ashwin was excellent with the ball in the home Test series against England recently where he went out of control against Joe Root and Co. The willy off-spinner sacked a stunning 32 wickets in only four matches to help India skip back after a loss in the series opener in Chennai and dominate the four-game series 3-1. ALSO READ: Cricket: IPL 2021 to resume on September 19 in UAE, final scheduled on October 15 Ashwin additionally had a noteworthy spat in Australia where he had scalped 12 wickets in three games. He drives the wicket-taking chart for India with 67 wickets in 13 matches in the World Test Championship. Nathan Lyon Lyon is Australia's third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, behind just Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. In 100 Tests, the 33-year-old has gotten 399 wickets with his best match figures being 13/154. Known for his overspin and fires up granted ready, he is without a doubt perhaps the best spinner the game has at any point seen. In the World Test Championship cycle, he has included in 14 matches and has stowed 56 wickets with an average of 31.37. Tim Southee Breaking into the senior New Zealand side as a capable teen, Tim Southee has consistently been a bankable alternative for the national team across all formats. Nonetheless, his type of late in Test cricket has taken him to an entire diverse level. Tim Southee has been around for just about 10 years and-a-half. He probably won't scare batsmen like Pat Cummins or Jasprit Bumrah however in the new past, he has outperformed pretty much every speed bowler in global cricket. Tim Southee is just the third pacer after Cummins and Stuart Broad to bag100 wickets in Test cricket since 2018. His fantastic change has profited New Zealand, who are appreciating a glad run at the No.6 spot in the ICC Tests Rankings and will play the debut ICC World Test Championship last against India at Southampton in less than two weeks.

Cricket: Top 5 wicket-takers in World Test Championship cycle 2019-2021

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar had objected to senior off-spinner R Ashwin being termed as an 'all-time great' in the game of cricket. As per his argument, Ashwin does not have a single five-wicket haul in SENA countries- South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-this-has-got-to-be-best-indian-team-ever-sunil-gavaskar-lauds-virat-and-co-389673" hreflang="en">Cricket- 'This has got to be best Indian team ever': Sunil Gavaskar lauds Virat and Co.</a>

However, cricketing legend Ian Chappell disagreed with Manjrekar's observations and cited an exampling of West Indies stalwart Joel Garner's example and said that he too did not have many five-wicket hauls, but, he performed with three 'very fine players.&nbsp;

Manjrekar had further added that Ravindra Jadeja has matched Ashwin in India. He added that Axar Patel bagged 27 wickets in three matches, while Ashwin pocketed 32 wickets in four games in India's 3-1 Test series win against England, earlier this year.&nbsp;

Ian Chappell said that Axar left the English batsmen clueless as they were focused on Ashwin.&nbsp;

"I would like to make a couple of points there -- if you look at Joel Garner, I mean how many five-wicket hauls Joel Garner has? Not many, when you consider how good he was and his record. And why, because he was performing with three other very, very fine players. And I think, particularly of late, I find that the Indian attack has been so strong that the wickets are being shared around more. And the other point I would make is because of Ashwin's reputation I think the England players probably concentrated more on keeping Ashwin out and with Axar Patel, well, let's be blunt about it, they didn't have a bloody clue," Chappell added.

Australian legend Chappell also added that Ashwin is better than Nathan Lyon and he explained his reason behind the statement.&nbsp;

"I think Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan Lyon. Have a look at Nathan Lyon's strike rate, you are in the 70s and I am going back to 2018. Nathan Lyon, to me, I think runs get scored through the onside when he is bowling to the right-handers and that really just shouldn't happen. Yes, he is a fine bowler but I think Ashwin is a better bowler," concluded Chappell.

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar had objected to senior off-spinner R Ashwin being termed as an 'all-time great' in the game of cricket. As per his argument, Ashwin does not have a single five-wicket haul in SENA countries- South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar had objected to senior off-spinner R Ashwin being termed as an 'all-time great' in the game of cricket. As per his argument, Ashwin does not have a single five-wicket haul in SENA countries- South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. ALSO READ: Cricket- 'This has got to be best Indian team ever': Sunil Gavaskar lauds Virat and Co. However, cricketing legend Ian Chappell disagreed with Manjrekar's observations and cited an exampling of West Indies stalwart Joel Garner's example and said that he too did not have many five-wicket hauls, but, he performed with three 'very fine players. Manjrekar had further added that Ravindra Jadeja has matched Ashwin in India. He added that Axar Patel bagged 27 wickets in three matches, while Ashwin pocketed 32 wickets in four games in India's 3-1 Test series win against England, earlier this year. Ian Chappell said that Axar left the English batsmen clueless as they were focused on Ashwin. "I would like to make a couple of points there -- if you look at Joel Garner, I mean how many five-wicket hauls Joel Garner has? Not many, when you consider how good he was and his record. And why, because he was performing with three other very, very fine players. And I think, particularly of late, I find that the Indian attack has been so strong that the wickets are being shared around more. And the other point I would make is because of Ashwin's reputation I think the England players probably concentrated more on keeping Ashwin out and with Axar Patel, well, let's be blunt about it, they didn't have a bloody clue," Chappell added. Australian legend Chappell also added that Ashwin is better than Nathan Lyon and he explained his reason behind the statement. "I think Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan Lyon. Have a look at Nathan Lyon's strike rate, you are in the 70s and I am going back to 2018. Nathan Lyon, to me, I think runs get scored through the onside when he is bowling to the right-handers and that really just shouldn't happen. Yes, he is a fine bowler but I think Ashwin is a better bowler," concluded Chappell.

Cricket: Ian Chappell disagrees with Manjrekar, explains why Ashwin is among best

Virat and Co. will take on Kane Williamson's New Zealand in the much-awaited World Test Championship finals that will take place on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The conditions in England are likely to favour the seamers, however, former Indian cricketer Maninder Singh feels that Virat Kohli and team management must use Ashwin and Jadeja to their advantage and test kiwi batsmen with spin.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-this-has-got-to-be-best-indian-team-ever-sunil-gavaskar-lauds-virat-and-co-389673" hreflang="en">Cricket- 'This has got to be best Indian team ever': Sunil Gavaskar lauds Virat and Co.</a>

“If I was in the team management, I would play both Ashwin and Jadeja. They can be a huge factor,” Maninder told Hindustan Times in an interview.

“There is going to be wear and tear anywhere as the Test match progresses. I keep talking to my friends there (in England) and they say it has become hot, these summer temperatures will soar. So if it is going to be the way it is then moisture won’t be that be effective. The pitch will dry out and spinners will start getting purchase and both are spinners are of good quality,” he added.

The spin duo has featured only once together in an overseas Test for Team India, which was played in 2014.&nbsp;

Ravindra Jadeja has proved his worth with not only the bowl but also with the bat. “Jadeja’s recent form with the bat has been exceptional. He has worked on his batting a lot. He gives you an extra option of having another bowler. The confidence of scoring runs has rubbed off on his bowling.”

Ashwin too has been prolific in with the bowl. The spinner has 14 scalps in six Test matches played in England.&nbsp;

“Ashwin is a class act. Ashwin has improved a lot and he can now get you wickets on any track, which was not the case when he first started touring overseas. He never used to give you the feeling that he was going for wickets. He didn’t have the belief. But now, with the experience he is a different bowler,” he said.

“We’ve seen how Ashwin bowls on Indian pitches. He has got to have that approach. When he bowls his aim should always be to get wickets. I have never had any doubt in my mind that he will give you wickets even on foreign soils. It depends on the team management. On Kohli and Shastri... How they keep motivating him. They've got to tell him 'you are going to get wickets for us.' Ravi Shastri has been brilliant in managing the players so far. He’ll have to go the extra mile if they want to win this WTC title.

“At this level cricketers hardly need advice. It’s that slight push. That believe that you are going to wickets even on foreign soil has to be there,” he signed off.

Virat and Co. will take on Kane Williamson's New Zealand in the much-awaited World Test Championship finals that will take place on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

Virat and Co. will take on Kane Williamson's New Zealand in the much-awaited World Test Championship finals that will take place on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The conditions in England are likely to favour the seamers, however, former Indian cricketer Maninder Singh feels that Virat Kohli and team management must use Ashwin and Jadeja to their advantage and test kiwi batsmen with spin. ALSO READ: Cricket- 'This has got to be best Indian team ever': Sunil Gavaskar lauds Virat and Co. “If I was in the team management, I would play both Ashwin and Jadeja. They can be a huge factor,” Maninder told Hindustan Times in an interview. “There is going to be wear and tear anywhere as the Test match progresses. I keep talking to my friends there (in England) and they say it has become hot, these summer temperatures will soar. So if it is going to be the way it is then moisture won’t be that be effective. The pitch will dry out and spinners will start getting purchase and both are spinners are of good quality,” he added. The spin duo has featured only once together in an overseas Test for Team India, which was played in 2014. Ravindra Jadeja has proved his worth with not only the bowl but also with the bat. “Jadeja’s recent form with the bat has been exceptional. He has worked on his batting a lot. He gives you an extra option of having another bowler. The confidence of scoring runs has rubbed off on his bowling.” Ashwin too has been prolific in with the bowl. The spinner has 14 scalps in six Test matches played in England. “Ashwin is a class act. Ashwin has improved a lot and he can now get you wickets on any track, which was not the case when he first started touring overseas. He never used to give you the feeling that he was going for wickets. He didn’t have the belief. But now, with the experience he is a different bowler,” he said. “We’ve seen how Ashwin bowls on Indian pitches. He has got to have that approach. When he bowls his aim should always be to get wickets. I have never had any doubt in my mind that he will give you wickets even on foreign soils. It depends on the team management. On Kohli and Shastri... How they keep motivating him. They've got to tell him 'you are going to get wickets for us.' Ravi Shastri has been brilliant in managing the players so far. He’ll have to go the extra mile if they want to win this WTC title. “At this level cricketers hardly need advice. It’s that slight push. That believe that you are going to wickets even on foreign soil has to be there,” he signed off.

Cricket: Maninder Singh wants Ashwin and Jadeja to play together in WTC finals

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has disagreed with Ian Chappell’s comments where he termed Ravichandran Ashwin as an “all-time great”. Opining on the matter, Manjrekar said he has a problem with people terming Ashwin as an all-time great while adding that the veteran Indian spinner doesn’t have a five-wicket haul at SENA countries.<o:p></o:p>

Ian Chappell, on ESPNCricinfo show Runorder, said that Ashwin is one of the best Test bowlers but Manjrekar clearly isn’t in agreement with the former Australian cricketer.<o:p></o:p>

Manjrekar, while citing Ashwin’s overseas record, said that even the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have performed well in Indian conditions.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-i-wanted-to-perform-and-contribute-to-the-teams-win-kuldeep-yadav-389760" hreflang="en">Cricket: 'I wanted to perform and contribute to the team's win': Kuldeep Yadav</a><o:p></o:p>

“One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, Ashwin doesn’t have a single five-wicket haul there. And the other thing when you talk about him running through sides on Indian pitches that are suited to his kind of bowling is that in the last four years, Jadeja has matched him with wicket-taking abilities. Then, interestingly, in the last series against England, Axar Patel got more wickets than Ashwin on similar pitches. So that is my problem with accepting Ashwin as a real all-time great,” Manjrekar said<o:p></o:p>

However, Chappell added that it is like being Joel Garner whose “wickets are shared around” while being surrounded by great bowlers. But Manjrekar’s comments did attract a lot of criticism on social media.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-jamieson-dismisses-skipper-root-on-the-very-first-ball-of-the-day-watch-389752" hreflang="en">Cricket: Jamieson dismisses skipper Root on the very first ball of the day - WATCH</a><o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen in action during the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand and five-Test series against England.<o:p></o:p>

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has disagreed with Ian Chappell’s comments where he termed Ravichandran Ashwin as an “all-time great”. Opining on the matter, Manjrekar said he has a problem with people terming Ashwin as an all-time great while adding that the veteran Indian spinner doesn’t have a five-wicket haul at SENA countries.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has disagreed with Ian Chappell’s comments where he termed Ravichandran Ashwin as an “all-time great”. Opining on the matter, Manjrekar said he has a problem with people terming Ashwin as an all-time great while adding that the veteran Indian spinner doesn’t have a five-wicket haul at SENA countries. Ian Chappell, on ESPNCricinfo show Runorder, said that Ashwin is one of the best Test bowlers but Manjrekar clearly isn’t in agreement with the former Australian cricketer. Manjrekar, while citing Ashwin’s overseas record, said that even the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have performed well in Indian conditions. ALSO READ: Cricket: 'I wanted to perform and contribute to the team's win': Kuldeep Yadav “One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, Ashwin doesn’t have a single five-wicket haul there. And the other thing when you talk about him running through sides on Indian pitches that are suited to his kind of bowling is that in the last four years, Jadeja has matched him with wicket-taking abilities. Then, interestingly, in the last series against England, Axar Patel got more wickets than Ashwin on similar pitches. So that is my problem with accepting Ashwin as a real all-time great,” Manjrekar said However, Chappell added that it is like being Joel Garner whose “wickets are shared around” while being surrounded by great bowlers. But Manjrekar’s comments did attract a lot of criticism on social media. ALSO READ: Cricket: Jamieson dismisses skipper Root on the very first ball of the day - WATCH Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen in action during the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand and five-Test series against England.

Cricket: ‘Have few problems with Ashwin being called an all-time great’ – Sanjay Manjrekar disagrees with Ian Chappell

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed on his opinion about all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who has struggled with injuries since playing for India in the ICC World Cup 2019. Ashwin reckons that Shankar can sort out his injury issues but added that injuries become harder to manage as one grows older.<o:p></o:p>

Ashwin, in his career, has struggled with his share of injuries as he said that sometimes people are not sensitive to injuries. Vijay Shankar's form has also suffered due to him being on the sidelines mostly due to injury concerns. Even there are question marks whether he has been utilised properly by his IPL franchise - Sunrisers Hyderabad.<o:p></o:p>

“Vijay is a fine player who has played the World Cup and has a lot of experience. He has had a lot of injuries and there is no better person to understand it (injuries) better than me. Sometimes people are not sensitive to injury,” Ashwin told The New Indian Express.<o:p></o:p>

“Vijay Shankar has definitely struggled, but he will find a solution and can get his injuries sorted,” he added.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ross-taylor-looks-to-make-most-of-insight-into-stuart-broads-methods-during-eng-vs-nz-series-388811" hreflang="en">Cricket: Ross Taylor looks to make most of insight into Stuart Broad's methods during ENG vs NZ series</a><o:p></o:p>

“It doesn’t become easy to manage injuries as you grow old. Vijay is about 30-31 years old and to manage injuries when you get older is harder,” he said.<o:p></o:p>

Ashwin, who has been keeping close eye on the Tamil Nadu cricket team, feels that players must be given right roles in the team while adding that it will be good for the state side if they can strike a good balance between youth and experience. <o:p></o:p>

“So I think we must give right roles and we must balance it with youngsters coming in and seniors. We should look for a way forward, utilise Vijay Shankar’s experience and also blend it with the youngsters. It will be good for TN cricket if we strike a good balance and give more opportunities for youngsters,” Ashwin said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/womens-cricket-needs-media-support-indias-mithali-raj-opines-on-naomi-osaka-controversy-388802" hreflang="en">Women's cricket needs media support: India's Mithali Raj opines on Naomi Osaka controversy</a><o:p></o:p>

“B Indrajith, B Aparajith and Vijay Shankar have been the backbone of Tamil Nadu cricket for a while (5 -8 years), but there are a lot of promising youngsters also coming through. It’s a matter of managing roles and giving seniors the right role,” he added.<o:p></o:p>

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed on his opinion about all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who has struggled with injuries since playing for India in the ICC World Cup 2019.

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed on his opinion about all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who has struggled with injuries since playing for India in the ICC World Cup 2019. Ashwin reckons that Shankar can sort out his injury issues but added that injuries become harder to manage as one grows older. Ashwin, in his career, has struggled with his share of injuries as he said that sometimes people are not sensitive to injuries. Vijay Shankar's form has also suffered due to him being on the sidelines mostly due to injury concerns. Even there are question marks whether he has been utilised properly by his IPL franchise - Sunrisers Hyderabad. “Vijay is a fine player who has played the World Cup and has a lot of experience. He has had a lot of injuries and there is no better person to understand it (injuries) better than me. Sometimes people are not sensitive to injury,” Ashwin told The New Indian Express. “Vijay Shankar has definitely struggled, but he will find a solution and can get his injuries sorted,” he added. ALSO READ: Cricket: Ross Taylor looks to make most of insight into Stuart Broad's methods during ENG vs NZ series “It doesn’t become easy to manage injuries as you grow old. Vijay is about 30-31 years old and to manage injuries when you get older is harder,” he said. Ashwin, who has been keeping close eye on the Tamil Nadu cricket team, feels that players must be given right roles in the team while adding that it will be good for the state side if they can strike a good balance between youth and experience. “So I think we must give right roles and we must balance it with youngsters coming in and seniors. We should look for a way forward, utilise Vijay Shankar’s experience and also blend it with the youngsters. It will be good for TN cricket if we strike a good balance and give more opportunities for youngsters,” Ashwin said. ALSO READ: Women's cricket needs media support: India's Mithali Raj opines on Naomi Osaka controversy “B Indrajith, B Aparajith and Vijay Shankar have been the backbone of Tamil Nadu cricket for a while (5 -8 years), but there are a lot of promising youngsters also coming through. It’s a matter of managing roles and giving seniors the right role,” he added.

Cricket: Ravichandran Ashwin highlights one area all-rounder Vijay Shankar needs to work on

The BCCI indefinitely postponed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 owing to positive cases across multiple teams inside the bio-secure bubble. While all the players and staff participating in IPL 2021 have now returned back to their respective homes, Ravichandran Ashwin was one Indian player who pulled out of IPL 2021 mid-way. <o:p></o:p>

Ashwin, who plays for IPL 2021 runners-up Delhi Capitals, decided to withdraw from the T20 tournament to be with his family. While Ashwin didn’t reveal the reason for his exit initially, his wife disclosed that as many as 10 people at their home had tested positive for COVID-19.<o:p></o:p>

Now, the veteran spinner has opened up about the phase during IPL 2021 as he said that while almost everyone contracted the dreaded virus in his home, a few of his family members’ health deteriorated and were admitted to the hospital.<o:p></o:p>

As things developed, Ashwin failed to be at peach inside IPL’s bio-secure bubble and the 34-year-old said that he couldn’t sleep due to the tension and stress for eight to 10 days.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-intention-is-to-give-guys-a-break-not-for-them-to-play-elsewhere-ashley-giles-on-england-players-in-remainder-of-ipl-2021-387855" hreflang="en">Cricket: Intention is to give guys a break, not for them to play elsewhere: Ashley Giles on England players in remainder of IPL 2021</a><o:p></o:p>

Ashwin further revealed that he doubted whether he would be able to return to cricket.<o:p></o:p>

“Almost everyone from my place had got affected due to COVID. In fact, a few of my cousins also got admitted and were serious and they somehow recovered. I couldn’t sleep for almost 8-9 days,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.<o:p></o:p>

“Since I couldn’t sleep, it was really stressful for me. I was playing matches without getting any sleep. And since I found it really taxing, I had to quit IPL and go home midway. In fact, when I left, around that time, I had thoughts on whether I will be able to play cricket thereafter. But still, I did what was required at that point of time,” Ashwin stated.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/virat-kohli-isnt-the-highest-paid-captain-in-international-cricket-check-full-list-of-skippers-and-salaries-in-2021-386865" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli isn't the highest-paid captain in international cricket! - Check full list of skippers and salaries in 2021</a><o:p></o:p>

Ashwin will be back in action when he takes the field for India in the World Test Championship final and five-Test series against England. <o:p></o:p>

The BCCI indefinitely postponed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 owing to positive cases across multiple teams inside the bio-secure bubble. While all the players and staff participating in IPL 2021 have now returned back to their respective homes, Ravichandran Ashwin was one Indian player who pulled out of IPL 2021 mid-way.

The BCCI indefinitely postponed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 owing to positive cases across multiple teams inside the bio-secure bubble. While all the players and staff participating in IPL 2021 have now returned back to their respective homes, Ravichandran Ashwin was one Indian player who pulled out of IPL 2021 mid-way. Ashwin, who plays for IPL 2021 runners-up Delhi Capitals, decided to withdraw from the T20 tournament to be with his family. While Ashwin didn’t reveal the reason for his exit initially, his wife disclosed that as many as 10 people at their home had tested positive for COVID-19. Now, the veteran spinner has opened up about the phase during IPL 2021 as he said that while almost everyone contracted the dreaded virus in his home, a few of his family members’ health deteriorated and were admitted to the hospital. As things developed, Ashwin failed to be at peach inside IPL’s bio-secure bubble and the 34-year-old said that he couldn’t sleep due to the tension and stress for eight to 10 days. ALSO READ: Cricket: Intention is to give guys a break, not for them to play elsewhere: Ashley Giles on England players in remainder of IPL 2021 Ashwin further revealed that he doubted whether he would be able to return to cricket. “Almost everyone from my place had got affected due to COVID. In fact, a few of my cousins also got admitted and were serious and they somehow recovered. I couldn’t sleep for almost 8-9 days,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Since I couldn’t sleep, it was really stressful for me. I was playing matches without getting any sleep. And since I found it really taxing, I had to quit IPL and go home midway. In fact, when I left, around that time, I had thoughts on whether I will be able to play cricket thereafter. But still, I did what was required at that point of time,” Ashwin stated. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli isn't the highest-paid captain in international cricket! - Check full list of skippers and salaries in 2021 Ashwin will be back in action when he takes the field for India in the World Test Championship final and five-Test series against England.

‘Had thoughts on whether I will be able to play cricket thereafter’ – R Ashwin on pulling out from IPL 2021

Former Australian bowler Bradd Hogg has been a fan of Indian spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin and his bowling. The 34-year-old spinner has proved his worth not only as a bowler but also as a batsman. Ashwin scalped 32 wickets and smashed a century in the series against England.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-will-be-a-good-match-pat-cummins-prediction-on-wtc-finals-387834" hreflang="en">Cricket- 'Will be a good match': Pat Cummins' prediction on WTC finals</a>

Ashwin became the fasted to breach the 400 scalps in the Tests. He looks in sublime form as he heads into WTC Finals. Brad Hogg predicted that the Chennai bowler could also breach the 800-mark in Test wickets.&nbsp;

“I think he will probably play till 42 in Tests. I think his batting might drop off but he’ll be more lethal with the ball by the time passing by. I can see him pushing 600+ Test wickets at least. He might even break Muttiah Muralitharan’s record (of 800 Test wickets) as well,” Hogg told Timesnownews.com.

Hogg explained the reason behind Ashwin's success.&nbsp;

“The reason why I think he’s so good because he is adaptable and his hunger of continuing to grow up as a cricketer. He also played county cricket to get used to England conditions and that’s how he has become so successful especially in recent years,” he further added.

Hogg also gave his words of wisdom for Kuldeep Yadav, who is currently having a rough time on the field.&nbsp;

“I would tell Kuldeep to not worry about what the other players are doing. Just enjoy their success and get right behind them but keep working on his own game. Because opportunity will come. But if you’re not focused on what you can do to improve your game and to make sure when the opportunity comes, you’ve to give your best with preparations, you can’t do anything more. The more you worry about what is not in your control, the more the performance will go down,” Hogg said.

Former Australian bowler Bradd Hogg has been a fan of Indian spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin and his bowling. The 34-year-old spinner has proved his worth not only as a bowler but also as a batsman.

Former Australian bowler Bradd Hogg has been a fan of Indian spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin and his bowling. The 34-year-old spinner has proved his worth not only as a bowler but also as a batsman. Ashwin scalped 32 wickets and smashed a century in the series against England. ALSO READ: Cricket- 'Will be a good match': Pat Cummins' prediction on WTC finals Ashwin became the fasted to breach the 400 scalps in the Tests. He looks in sublime form as he heads into WTC Finals. Brad Hogg predicted that the Chennai bowler could also breach the 800-mark in Test wickets. “I think he will probably play till 42 in Tests. I think his batting might drop off but he’ll be more lethal with the ball by the time passing by. I can see him pushing 600+ Test wickets at least. He might even break Muttiah Muralitharan’s record (of 800 Test wickets) as well,” Hogg told Timesnownews.com. Hogg explained the reason behind Ashwin's success. “The reason why I think he’s so good because he is adaptable and his hunger of continuing to grow up as a cricketer. He also played county cricket to get used to England conditions and that’s how he has become so successful especially in recent years,” he further added. Hogg also gave his words of wisdom for Kuldeep Yadav, who is currently having a rough time on the field. “I would tell Kuldeep to not worry about what the other players are doing. Just enjoy their success and get right behind them but keep working on his own game. Because opportunity will come. But if you’re not focused on what you can do to improve your game and to make sure when the opportunity comes, you’ve to give your best with preparations, you can’t do anything more. The more you worry about what is not in your control, the more the performance will go down,” Hogg said.

Cricket: 'Can see him pushing 600 Test wickets at least': Brad Hogg lauds Ravi Ashwin

The enthusiasm for the World Test Championship finale is developing as India and New Zealand gear up to face each other. The inaugural ICC World Test Championship final&nbsp;will be played in Southampton from June 18 to 22.

New Zealand advanced to the final on the back of victories at home as they pounded West Indies and Pakistan. Their billet in the culmination clash of the World Test Championship was affirmed once Australia pulled out of the scheduled visit through South Africa recently, referring to COVID-19 concerns.&nbsp;

India and England were the contenders to make the WTC final. It was Virat Kohli's men who qualified by whipping England 3-1 at home in a four-match test series.

In the head-to-head fight between the two sides. The Black Caps have won just 12 of the 59 Tests between the two teams while India have been victorious in 21.

The main scrutiny of the little example size of six tests at The Rose Bowl in Southampton proposes that swing bowlers are more prevailing than spin. In any case, taking into account that England will not be the home side this time, the World Test Championship final could go either way.

Here are four-player&nbsp;battles to watch out for in WTC final between India and New Zealand:

<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Kane Williamson vs Jasprit Bumrah</h2>

If India wants to win the inaugural World Test Championship final, Jasprit Bumrah needs to come great no matter what. Jasprit Bumrah has been in and out of India's Test side as of late for different reasons. Subsequent to missing the Test series against England on home soil, Bumrah would plan to make a solid rebound in whites as India gear up to confront New Zealand. He didn't have the best of outings against Australia. Nonetheless, he can in any case cause inconvenience to anybody on a given day thinking about his sheer speed.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/salman-butt-disagrees-with-michael-vaughans-virat-kohli-kane-williamson-comparison-385360" hreflang="en">Salman Butt disagrees with Michael Vaughan's Virat Kohli-Kane Williamson comparison</a>

Jasprit Bumrah will positively enjoy the seam movement on the proposal in Southampton and it will revive his recollections of 4 wickets against England here in 2018.&nbsp;

Kane Williamson is presently the top-ranked batsman in the ICC Men's Test Rankings while Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-ranked Indian pacer. Kane Williamson is the highest run-scorer for New Zealand with 817 runs in 14 innings. Jasprit Bumrah's match-ups against Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will be vital to India's odds. Bumrah's capacity to wipe off the tail will prove to be useful against any semblance of Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson too.

<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Ravichandran Ashwin vs Tom Latham&nbsp;</h2>

Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is as of now the second-ranked bowler in ICC Test rankings. He caused serious trouble to the Australian batsman with his bowling abilities prior to doing likewise with the England batting line-up in the home test series, recently. He is likewise the third-highest wicket-taker in World Test Championship with 67 wickets.&nbsp;

Ashwin has been India's lead spinner in the last two series against Australia and England in Jadeja's nonattendance and his improved batting abilities have likewise reinforced his case. His wicket-taking capacity is a mystery to none. The off-spinner averages a faltering 16.98 for his 48 wickets against New Zealand. He also has 6 five-wicket hauls against the Black Caps - the joint-most for him against any rival.&nbsp;

New Zealand's vice-captain Tom Latham has been a joy to watch in the course of recent years. He is right now the 12th ranked player in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen. It will be fascinating to perceive how Latham will handle Ashwin in the forthcoming World Test Championship finale.

<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Rohit Sharma versus Trent Boult&nbsp;</h2>

Only weeks in the wake of sharing the dressing room at Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma, and Trent Boult will be clashing in the World Test Championship final. It is an obvious fact that Rohit Sharma is by and large not comfortable against quicks that swings the ball in and Trent Boult will be hoping to utilize that. Rohit Sharma has improved exponentially to open the innings in Test matches. Despite the fact that he is yet to demonstrate his value in overseas conditions as an opener.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-new-zealands-tim-southee-expresses-love-for-test-format-385346" hreflang="en">WTC Final: New Zealand's Tim Southee expresses love for Test format</a>

Then again, Boult will be endowed with getting the new ball to swing and getting wickets forthright. He will absolutely hope to unleash ruin with the new ball in a bid to excuse the Indian top-order. His numbers in England - 21 wickets including 2 fifers at 23.14 - are his second-best for all countries he has at any point played in. In the event that the Rose Bowl pitch sets up a greenish-tinge on match day, anticipate that Boult should be the greatest barricade in India's World Test Championship dream.

<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Virat Kohli versus Tim Southee</h2>

Tim Southee has been the main adversary of Virat Kohli. He dismissed the Indian captain twice during their 2-0 home success over Team India a year ago. Tim Southee is the main wicket-taker for the Blackcaps in the World Test Championship with 51 scalps and five fifers.&nbsp;

With the most recent case, he has dismissed multiple times across designs, the most achievement any bowler has availed against the Indian captain. Thrice in tests, multiple times in ODIs, and once in T20Is. To such an extent that he could authentically guarantee that he's Virat Kohli's kryptonite, he could legitimately gloat that he realizes how to outsmart Virat Kohli.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli averages 42.75 and will unquestionably be hoping to get the huge runs in this do-or-die clash. He, however, has not scored a century in any format for over a year and a half. Despite the fact that the condition will not be proper to bat long in Southampton, Although, he&nbsp;does hold a good record at the Rose Bowl so this contest should be an enthralling one.

The two sides are loaded up with top-notch players. Hence, one thing can be guaranteed that this marquee conflict has a nail-biter composed on top of it.

The enthusiasm for the World Test Championship finale is developing as India and New Zealand gear up to face each other. The inaugural ICC World Test Championship final will be played in Southampton from June 18 to 22.

The enthusiasm for the World Test Championship finale is developing as India and New Zealand gear up to face each other. The inaugural ICC World Test Championship final will be played in Southampton from June 18 to 22. New Zealand advanced to the final on the back of victories at home as they pounded West Indies and Pakistan. Their billet in the culmination clash of the World Test Championship was affirmed once Australia pulled out of the scheduled visit through South Africa recently, referring to COVID-19 concerns. India and England were the contenders to make the WTC final. It was Virat Kohli's men who qualified by whipping England 3-1 at home in a four-match test series. In the head-to-head fight between the two sides. The Black Caps have won just 12 of the 59 Tests between the two teams while India have been victorious in 21. The main scrutiny of the little example size of six tests at The Rose Bowl in Southampton proposes that swing bowlers are more prevailing than spin. In any case, taking into account that England will not be the home side this time, the World Test Championship final could go either way. Here are four-player battles to watch out for in WTC final between India and New Zealand: Kane Williamson vs Jasprit Bumrah If India wants to win the inaugural World Test Championship final, Jasprit Bumrah needs to come great no matter what. Jasprit Bumrah has been in and out of India's Test side as of late for different reasons. Subsequent to missing the Test series against England on home soil, Bumrah would plan to make a solid rebound in whites as India gear up to confront New Zealand. He didn't have the best of outings against Australia. Nonetheless, he can in any case cause inconvenience to anybody on a given day thinking about his sheer speed. ALSO READ: Salman Butt disagrees with Michael Vaughan's Virat Kohli-Kane Williamson comparison Jasprit Bumrah will positively enjoy the seam movement on the proposal in Southampton and it will revive his recollections of 4 wickets against England here in 2018. Kane Williamson is presently the top-ranked batsman in the ICC Men's Test Rankings while Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-ranked Indian pacer. Kane Williamson is the highest run-scorer for New Zealand with 817 runs in 14 innings. Jasprit Bumrah's match-ups against Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will be vital to India's odds. Bumrah's capacity to wipe off the tail will prove to be useful against any semblance of Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson too. Ravichandran Ashwin vs Tom Latham Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is as of now the second-ranked bowler in ICC Test rankings. He caused serious trouble to the Australian batsman with his bowling abilities prior to doing likewise with the England batting line-up in the home test series, recently. He is likewise the third-highest wicket-taker in World Test Championship with 67 wickets. Ashwin has been India's lead spinner in the last two series against Australia and England in Jadeja's nonattendance and his improved batting abilities have likewise reinforced his case. His wicket-taking capacity is a mystery to none. The off-spinner averages a faltering 16.98 for his 48 wickets against New Zealand. He also has 6 five-wicket hauls against the Black Caps - the joint-most for him against any rival. New Zealand's vice-captain Tom Latham has been a joy to watch in the course of recent years. He is right now the 12th ranked player in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen. It will be fascinating to perceive how Latham will handle Ashwin in the forthcoming World Test Championship finale. Rohit Sharma versus Trent Boult Only weeks in the wake of sharing the dressing room at Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma, and Trent Boult will be clashing in the World Test Championship final. It is an obvious fact that Rohit Sharma is by and large not comfortable against quicks that swings the ball in and Trent Boult will be hoping to utilize that. Rohit Sharma has improved exponentially to open the innings in Test matches. Despite the fact that he is yet to demonstrate his value in overseas conditions as an opener. ALSO READ: WTC Final: New Zealand's Tim Southee expresses love for Test format Then again, Boult will be endowed with getting the new ball to swing and getting wickets forthright. He will absolutely hope to unleash ruin with the new ball in a bid to excuse the Indian top-order. His numbers in England - 21 wickets including 2 fifers at 23.14 - are his second-best for all countries he has at any point played in. In the event that the Rose Bowl pitch sets up a greenish-tinge on match day, anticipate that Boult should be the greatest barricade in India's World Test Championship dream. Virat Kohli versus Tim Southee Tim Southee has been the main adversary of Virat Kohli. He dismissed the Indian captain twice during their 2-0 home success over Team India a year ago. Tim Southee is the main wicket-taker for the Blackcaps in the World Test Championship with 51 scalps and five fifers. With the most recent case, he has dismissed multiple times across designs, the most achievement any bowler has availed against the Indian captain. Thrice in tests, multiple times in ODIs, and once in T20Is. To such an extent that he could authentically guarantee that he's Virat Kohli's kryptonite, he could legitimately gloat that he realizes how to outsmart Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli averages 42.75 and will unquestionably be hoping to get the huge runs in this do-or-die clash. He, however, has not scored a century in any format for over a year and a half. Despite the fact that the condition will not be proper to bat long in Southampton, Although, he does hold a good record at the Rose Bowl so this contest should be an enthralling one. The two sides are loaded up with top-notch players. Hence, one thing can be guaranteed that this marquee conflict has a nail-biter composed on top of it.

WTC Final: 4 key battles to watch out for in the India vs New Zealand clash

India is going through a health crisis after the raging second wave of COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the country. Several players in the ongoing Indian Premier League are being affected by the devastation. Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also decided to pull out of the cash-rich T20 league to help his family amidst the pandemic.&nbsp;

The Delhi Capitals cricketer's wife took to social media and said that her family, this week, has been through a "nightmare".&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-he-just-seems-so-lazy-kevin-pietersen-on-shubman-gills-underwhelming-form-381976" hreflang="en">IPL 2021- 'He just seems so lazy': Kevin Pietersen on Shubman Gill's underwhelming form</a>

"Feeling ok enough to croak a tiny hi to all of you. 6 adults and 4 children ended up testing the same week, with our kids being the vehicles of transmission - the core of my family, all down with the virus in different homes/hospitals. Nightmare of a week. 1 of 3 parents back home," she tweeted.

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Feeling ok enough to croak a tiny hi to all of you.6 adults and 4 children ended up testing+ the same week,with our kids being the vehicles of transmission - the core of my family,all down with the virus in different homes/hospitals..Nightmare of a week.1 of 3 parents back home.
— Wear a mask. Take your vaccine. (@prithinarayanan) <a href="https://twitter.com/prithinarayanan/status/1388145447437406211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Take the vaccine. Give yourselves and your family the best chance to fight this.

"I guess physical health will recover faster than mental health. Days 5-8 were the absolute worst for me. Everybody was there, offering help yet there's no one with you. Most isolating disease. Please do reach out and seek help.

"The headaches this virus causes need their own Twitter thread."

Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with over 4,00,000 new infections being reported in the last 24 hours, while the active cases crossed the 32,00,000 mark, according to a date updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.&nbsp;

The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the death toll increased to 2,11,853 with 3,523 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.&nbsp;

Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 32,68,710, accounting for 17.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.84 per cent.&nbsp;

India is going through a health crisis after the raging second wave of COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the country. Several players in the ongoing Indian Premier League are being affected by the devastation.

India is going through a health crisis after the raging second wave of COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the country. Several players in the ongoing Indian Premier League are being affected by the devastation. Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also decided to pull out of the cash-rich T20 league to help his family amidst the pandemic. The Delhi Capitals cricketer's wife took to social media and said that her family, this week, has been through a "nightmare". ALSO READ: IPL 2021- 'He just seems so lazy': Kevin Pietersen on Shubman Gill's underwhelming form "Feeling ok enough to croak a tiny hi to all of you. 6 adults and 4 children ended up testing the same week, with our kids being the vehicles of transmission - the core of my family, all down with the virus in different homes/hospitals. Nightmare of a week. 1 of 3 parents back home," she tweeted. Feeling ok enough to croak a tiny hi to all of you.6 adults and 4 children ended up testing+ the same week,with our kids being the vehicles of transmission - the core of my family,all down with the virus in different homes/hospitals..Nightmare of a week.1 of 3 parents back home. — Wear a mask. Take your vaccine. (@prithinarayanan) April 30, 2021 × "Take the vaccine. Give yourselves and your family the best chance to fight this. "I guess physical health will recover faster than mental health. Days 5-8 were the absolute worst for me. Everybody was there, offering help yet there's no one with you. Most isolating disease. Please do reach out and seek help. "The headaches this virus causes need their own Twitter thread." Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with over 4,00,000 new infections being reported in the last 24 hours, while the active cases crossed the 32,00,000 mark, according to a date updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday. The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the death toll increased to 2,11,853 with 3,523 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 32,68,710, accounting for 17.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.84 per cent.

R Ashwin's wife reveals Covid 'nightmares' her family has been through in a week

India star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the Indian Premier League on Sunday to support his family during the Covid-19 pandemic, dealing a significant blow to the glitzy tournament which is taking place despite the country battling rising death rates.

Ashwin, 34, a key Test and ODI player, said he would be taking a break from playing in the lucrative T20 franchise tournament with the Delhi Capitals team.

"My family and extended family are putting up a fight against #COVID19 and I want to support them during these tough times," Ashwin tweeted.

"I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction. Thank you @DelhiCapitals."

Ashwin's decision is a major blow for the money-spinning event which is being held behind closed doors and runs until May 30.

On Sunday, a leading Indian newspaper group suspended coverage of the IPL, calling the tournament "commercialism gone crass" and "incongruous" as the record-breaking pandemic surge grips the country.

Express Publications said in a front-page editorial of its flagship English-language daily, the New Indian Express, that the paper was halting reporting on the Twenty20 event until a "semblance of normalcy is restored".

Delhi said they supported the decision taken by Ashwin.

"Extending our full support to you in these difficult times, @ashwinravi99 Sending you and your family all the strength and prayers from all of us at Delhi Capitals," the team tweeted.

Ashwin has played 77 Tests in a 10-year international career as well as 111 ODIs and 46 T20 Internationals.

He has 409 Test wickets, one of just 16 bowlers in history to break the 400-mark.

Ashwin's Twitter account has over 10 million followers.

His profile page contains the plea: "Stay home stay safe! Take your vaccine."

India star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the Indian Premier League on Sunday to support his family during the Covid-19 pandemic, dealing a significant blow to the glitzy tournament which is taking place despite the country battling rising death rates.

India star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the Indian Premier League on Sunday to support his family during the Covid-19 pandemic, dealing a significant blow to the glitzy tournament which is taking place despite the country battling rising death rates. Ashwin, 34, a key Test and ODI player, said he would be taking a break from playing in the lucrative T20 franchise tournament with the Delhi Capitals team. "My family and extended family are putting up a fight against #COVID19 and I want to support them during these tough times," Ashwin tweeted. "I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction. Thank you @DelhiCapitals." Ashwin's decision is a major blow for the money-spinning event which is being held behind closed doors and runs until May 30. On Sunday, a leading Indian newspaper group suspended coverage of the IPL, calling the tournament "commercialism gone crass" and "incongruous" as the record-breaking pandemic surge grips the country. Express Publications said in a front-page editorial of its flagship English-language daily, the New Indian Express, that the paper was halting reporting on the Twenty20 event until a "semblance of normalcy is restored". Delhi said they supported the decision taken by Ashwin. "Extending our full support to you in these difficult times, @ashwinravi99 Sending you and your family all the strength and prayers from all of us at Delhi Capitals," the team tweeted. Ashwin has played 77 Tests in a 10-year international career as well as 111 ODIs and 46 T20 Internationals. He has 409 Test wickets, one of just 16 bowlers in history to break the 400-mark. Ashwin's Twitter account has over 10 million followers. His profile page contains the plea: "Stay home stay safe! Take your vaccine."

Indian star Ashwin withdraws from IPL to support family in Covid fight

Delhi Capitals head coach and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting talked about the IPL 2021 match against Rajasthan Royals, Ravichandran Ashwin mistake, team combination, Avesh Khan's form.

It was a mistake: Ricky Ponting on R Ashwin not completing his 4 overs vs RR

Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start as hot favourites in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, set to start on Friday. The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians are eyeing a hat-trick of IPL wins after winning their fifth trophy in the year 2020. <o:p></o:p>

Analysing Mumbai Indians, Ashwin said that while every team has its area of strength, MI’s experience and power-packed line-up make them stand out from their competitors. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

“Every team is strong, and I am not making a diplomatic statement. But I definitely think Mumbai has got a powerful and experienced squad. Mumbai will always start as favourites in this competition. I think Mumbai is the team to beat,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mumbai-indians-team-preview-a-dream-hat-trick-on-cards-for-rohit-sharma-and-co-375947" hreflang="en">IPL 2021, MI - Team Preview: A dream hat-trick on cards for Rohit and Co.?</a>

While lavishing praises on Mumbai Indians, Ashwin also backed his side Delhi Capitals to carry the confidence of last season. The veteran spinner backed DC to perform well in the 14th edition of the cash-rich tournament.<o:p></o:p>

“Good (On DC’s chances), well-balanced one. Last year, our batting did not come well together. It was understandable due to lockdown and all that. But this year, in the kind of form in which Rishabh is, definitely that (team’s batting) also will get sorted out,” he stated.<o:p></o:p>

“We have a good chance. But if you see the last few years, it is not always about the top two or three sides. Every team picks players judiciously and have good balance and options. The IPL is in a new caravan model, so conditions also will play a part,” Ashwin added.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vvs-laxman-to-wion-delhi-capitals-captaincy-will-help-rishabh-pant-reach-his-potential-376136" hreflang="en">VVS Laxman to WION: DC captaincy will help Rishabh Pant</a>

The IPL 2021 is set to be kick-started on April 9 with Mumbai Indians locking horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener in Chennai.<o:p></o:p>

Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start as hot favourites in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, set to start on Friday.

Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start as hot favourites in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, set to start on Friday. The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians are eyeing a hat-trick of IPL wins after winning their fifth trophy in the year 2020. Analysing Mumbai Indians, Ashwin said that while every team has its area of strength, MI’s experience and power-packed line-up make them stand out from their competitors. “Every team is strong, and I am not making a diplomatic statement. But I definitely think Mumbai has got a powerful and experienced squad. Mumbai will always start as favourites in this competition. I think Mumbai is the team to beat,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. ALSO READ: IPL 2021, MI - Team Preview: A dream hat-trick on cards for Rohit and Co.? While lavishing praises on Mumbai Indians, Ashwin also backed his side Delhi Capitals to carry the confidence of last season. The veteran spinner backed DC to perform well in the 14th edition of the cash-rich tournament. “Good (On DC’s chances), well-balanced one. Last year, our batting did not come well together. It was understandable due to lockdown and all that. But this year, in the kind of form in which Rishabh is, definitely that (team’s batting) also will get sorted out,” he stated. “We have a good chance. But if you see the last few years, it is not always about the top two or three sides. Every team picks players judiciously and have good balance and options. The IPL is in a new caravan model, so conditions also will play a part,” Ashwin added. ALSO READ: VVS Laxman to WION: DC captaincy will help Rishabh Pant The IPL 2021 is set to be kick-started on April 9 with Mumbai Indians locking horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener in Chennai.

Powerful and experienced squad: R Ashwin feels Mumbai Indians are hot favourites in IPL 2021

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments in which he linked rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team has been under fire for his recent comments and has been accused of being a “rape apologist” by Human right groups in Pakistan. <o:p></o:p>

Ashwin, who has always been a vocal character, took to social media platform Twitter as he schooled Khan by urging everyone to “do better parenting”. <o:p></o:p>

After denouncing crimes against women and children, Khan had said that sexual violence was a result of "increasing obscenity", adding it was a product of India, the West and Hollywood movies.<o:p></o:p>

“Let’s do better parenting please. ‘Today will determine our tomorrow’s’,” tweeted Ashwin on Friday.

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Let’s do better parenting please🙏🙏. 
“Today will determine our tomorrow’s”. <a href="https://t.co/MnDtUVvCLd">https://t.co/MnDtUVvCLd</a>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1380492471059107843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Khan had recently denounced crimes against women and children but triggered controversy by linking rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The Oxford-educated Khan blamed “fahashi” (vulgarity) for the rise in rape cases in Pakistan while suggesting women cover up to prevent “temptation”. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

“This entire concept of purdah (covering up or segregating) is to avoid temptation, not everyone has the willpower to avoid it," Khan had said.<o:p></o:p>

The Pakistan PM added, "in any society where vulgarity is prevalent, there are consequences."<o:p></o:p>

However, his comments irked the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.<o:p></o:p>

"Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes," the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a statement.

<h2 class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Here's how Ashwin's comments were lauded by netizens:</o:p></h2>

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Savage Anna 💯
— Prateek Shrivastava (@PrateekFrom_Ind) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrateekFrom_Ind/status/1380492695987097604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Wow. Absolutely destroyed him Ash 🔥 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/wJutLHioZa">https://t.co/wJutLHioZa</a>
— AD (@cricadharsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricadharsh/status/1380496499734323201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Bowled him <a href="https://t.co/LV9l7etNmv">https://t.co/LV9l7etNmv</a>
— Jash Parekh` (@JashParekh16) <a href="https://twitter.com/JashParekh16/status/1380495180499804160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hear hear Ashwin. <a href="https://t.co/IPnUhCTM91">https://t.co/IPnUhCTM91</a>
— Ketaki Golatkar (@Golty) <a href="https://twitter.com/Golty/status/1380493358875967490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Word! <a href="https://t.co/xhmmYO0s95">https://t.co/xhmmYO0s95</a>
— Sourav Sinha (@sourav_sinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sourav_sinha/status/1380492796977508355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Pakistan is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women in terms of safety and equality.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen playing for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, starting April 9.<o:p></o:p>

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments in which he linked rape and sexual violence to how women dress.

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments in which he linked rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team has been under fire for his recent comments and has been accused of being a “rape apologist” by Human right groups in Pakistan. Ashwin, who has always been a vocal character, took to social media platform Twitter as he schooled Khan by urging everyone to “do better parenting”. After denouncing crimes against women and children, Khan had said that sexual violence was a result of "increasing obscenity", adding it was a product of India, the West and Hollywood movies. “Let’s do better parenting please. ‘Today will determine our tomorrow’s’,” tweeted Ashwin on Friday. Let’s do better parenting please🙏🙏. “Today will determine our tomorrow’s”. https://t.co/MnDtUVvCLd — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) April 9, 2021 × Khan had recently denounced crimes against women and children but triggered controversy by linking rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The Oxford-educated Khan blamed “fahashi” (vulgarity) for the rise in rape cases in Pakistan while suggesting women cover up to prevent “temptation”. “This entire concept of purdah (covering up or segregating) is to avoid temptation, not everyone has the willpower to avoid it," Khan had said. The Pakistan PM added, "in any society where vulgarity is prevalent, there are consequences." However, his comments irked the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes," the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a statement. Here's how Ashwin's comments were lauded by netizens: Savage Anna 💯 — Prateek Shrivastava (@PrateekFrom_Ind) April 9, 2021 × Wow. Absolutely destroyed him Ash 🔥 🔥 https://t.co/wJutLHioZa — AD (@cricadharsh) April 9, 2021 × Bowled him https://t.co/LV9l7etNmv — Jash Parekh` (@JashParekh16) April 9, 2021 × Hear hear Ashwin. https://t.co/IPnUhCTM91 — Ketaki Golatkar (@Golty) April 9, 2021 × Word! https://t.co/xhmmYO0s95 — Sourav Sinha (@sourav_sinha) April 9, 2021 × Pakistan is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women in terms of safety and equality. Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen playing for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, starting April 9.

Do better parenting: R Ashwin ignites Twitter with rebuke to Pak PM Khan for rape remarks

IPL 2021: Who will captain Delhi Capitals in absence of Shreyas Iyer? Check the list of options

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he is ready to give a "game-breaking performance” if called up to Team India's limited-overs squad. The off-spinner who&nbsp;was the pick of the bowlers in Test series against Australia and England find himself out of India's T20I side but Ashwin has&nbsp;said he finds himself at peace with the life he's leading right now.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker among spinners in Australia as he scalped 12 wickets in three matches. The veteran returned to home soil and picked up 32 wickets in 4 Tests to end up being the leading wicket-taker in the series. However, he was not named in India's T20I squad versus England.&nbsp;Despite not being named in the limited-overs squad, Ashwin finds questions on his return to ODI and T20I cricket "laughable".&nbsp;

"A lot of times people tell these lines on leadership forums that 'you need to compete with yourself. But I have definitely found the balance and learned in life about how I must be competing with myself and be at complete peace when I am doing that," Ashwin told India Today.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-threatens-to-kill-himself-if-india-england-t20i-series-is-not-cancelled-amid-covid-19-spike-370850" hreflang="en">Man threatens to kill himself if India-England T20I series is not cancelled amid COVID-19 spike</a>

"Because when some of these questions are asked about my ODI return, T20I return, white-ball dreams, and all these things, I find those questions are really laughable because I am totally at peace and extremely happy with the life I am leading right now," he added.&nbsp;

"That given an opportunity anywhere, I would make a game-breaking performance which I am almost certain about because of the space I find myself in.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-rates-ahmedabad-pitch-for-two-day-test-match-average-370728" hreflang="en">ICC rates Ahmedabad pitch for two-day test match 'average'</a>

"What questions people have to ask, what opinions people have, I am not worried about at all. As of now, every single game I play out there in the park, I want to leave a smile on my face and everybody else's," Ashwin signed off.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the five-match T20I series between India and England hangs in balance with the&nbsp;scoreline&nbsp;1-1 after the end of two matches.&nbsp;

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he is ready to give a "game-breaking performance” if called up to Team India's limited-overs squad. The off-spinner who was the pick of the bowlers in Test series against Australia and England find himself out of India's T20I side but Ashwin has said he finds himself at peace with the life he's leading right now.

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he is ready to give a "game-breaking performance” if called up to Team India's limited-overs squad. The off-spinner who was the pick of the bowlers in Test series against Australia and England find himself out of India's T20I side but Ashwin has said he finds himself at peace with the life he's leading right now. Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker among spinners in Australia as he scalped 12 wickets in three matches. The veteran returned to home soil and picked up 32 wickets in 4 Tests to end up being the leading wicket-taker in the series. However, he was not named in India's T20I squad versus England. Despite not being named in the limited-overs squad, Ashwin finds questions on his return to ODI and T20I cricket "laughable". "A lot of times people tell these lines on leadership forums that 'you need to compete with yourself. But I have definitely found the balance and learned in life about how I must be competing with myself and be at complete peace when I am doing that," Ashwin told India Today. ALSO READ: Man threatens to kill himself if India-England T20I series is not cancelled amid COVID-19 spike "Because when some of these questions are asked about my ODI return, T20I return, white-ball dreams, and all these things, I find those questions are really laughable because I am totally at peace and extremely happy with the life I am leading right now," he added. "That given an opportunity anywhere, I would make a game-breaking performance which I am almost certain about because of the space I find myself in. ALSO READ: ICC rates Ahmedabad pitch for two-day test match 'average' "What questions people have to ask, what opinions people have, I am not worried about at all. As of now, every single game I play out there in the park, I want to leave a smile on my face and everybody else's," Ashwin signed off. Meanwhile, the five-match T20I series between India and England hangs in balance with the scoreline 1-1 after the end of two matches.

R Ashwin explains why he finds questions on return to ODIs, T20Is as 'laughable'

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for February which recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket each month.

India’s&nbsp;Ravichandran Ashwin&nbsp;won the&nbsp;ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2021, for his impressive performance against England as part of India’s successful Test series victory. In the 3 Tests he played, he scored a 106 in the second innings of India’s second Test victory over England at Chennai and took his 400th Test wicket in the third Test victory at Ahmedabad. Scoring a total of 176 runs across these games and taking 24 wickets, Ashwin was the unanimous choice to win in the men’s category for February and garnered the most votes in the fan vote.

England’s&nbsp;Tammy Beaumont&nbsp;played 3 ODIs in February against New Zealand where she passed fifty in each of these, totalling 231 runs. Beaumont was overwhelmingly named the&nbsp;ICC Women’s Player of the Month for February 2021.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sourav-ganguly-hails-rishabh-pant-as-game-changer-like-ms-dhoni-yuvraj-singh-369020" hreflang="en">Sourav Ganguly hails Rishabh Pant as game-changer like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh</a>

Commenting on Ashwin’s performance in February,&nbsp;Ian Bishop representing the ICC Voting Academy&nbsp;said:&nbsp;“Ashwin’s consistent wicket-taking, even in helpful conditions have helped to put his team ahead in a very important series. His century in the second Test was as critical as it came when England were trying to claw their way back into the match. That knock ensured that India shut the door on the opposition.”

Commenting on Beaumont’s performance in February,&nbsp;Ian Bishop&nbsp;added:&nbsp;“Three half centuries of which two were in helping her team win the match was outstanding from Beaumont. Particular emphasis on the fact that two of the knocks were unbeaten innings, and coming inevitably, on two occasions whilst having lost her opening partner early on, she had to see things through for her team, which was incredible.”&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dad-will-definitely-washington-sundar-reacts-to-wasim-jaffers-tweet-369093" hreflang="en">'Dad will definitely...': Washington Sundar reacts to Wasim Jaffer's tweet</a>

Fans can continue to vote every month for their favourite male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket as part of the ICC Player of the Month initiative by registering their vote on the ICC&nbsp;website.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for February which recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket each month.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for February which recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket each month. India’s Ravichandran Ashwin won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2021, for his impressive performance against England as part of India’s successful Test series victory. In the 3 Tests he played, he scored a 106 in the second innings of India’s second Test victory over England at Chennai and took his 400th Test wicket in the third Test victory at Ahmedabad. Scoring a total of 176 runs across these games and taking 24 wickets, Ashwin was the unanimous choice to win in the men’s category for February and garnered the most votes in the fan vote. England’s Tammy Beaumont played 3 ODIs in February against New Zealand where she passed fifty in each of these, totalling 231 runs. Beaumont was overwhelmingly named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for February 2021. ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly hails Rishabh Pant as game-changer like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh Commenting on Ashwin’s performance in February, Ian Bishop representing the ICC Voting Academy said: “Ashwin’s consistent wicket-taking, even in helpful conditions have helped to put his team ahead in a very important series. His century in the second Test was as critical as it came when England were trying to claw their way back into the match. That knock ensured that India shut the door on the opposition.” Commenting on Beaumont’s performance in February, Ian Bishop added: “Three half centuries of which two were in helping her team win the match was outstanding from Beaumont. Particular emphasis on the fact that two of the knocks were unbeaten innings, and coming inevitably, on two occasions whilst having lost her opening partner early on, she had to see things through for her team, which was incredible.” ALSO READ: 'Dad will definitely...': Washington Sundar reacts to Wasim Jaffer's tweet Fans can continue to vote every month for their favourite male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket as part of the ICC Player of the Month initiative by registering their vote on the ICC website.

Ravichandran Ashwin, Tammy Beaumont named ICC Player of the Month for February

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the nominees for the ICC Player of the Month Awards for the month of February to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.&nbsp;Fans have been treated to some fantastic cricket the last few months and can now vote on ICC's official website&nbsp;for their favourite ICC Player of the Month (February).

About the ICC Men’s Player of the Month February Nominees:&nbsp;

Ravichandran Ashwin played 3 tests against England as part of India’s ongoing series against them. In these Tests, he scored a 106 in the second innings of India’s second Test victory over England at Chennai and took his 400th Test wicket in the third Test victory at Ahmedabad.

Scoring a total of 176 runs across these games with taking a total of 24 wickets, Ashwin is the deserving candidate to be nominated in the Men’s category for Feb. England Test captain Joe Root makes it to the list of nominations again this month for his outstanding performance with the bat and the ball. He scored a total of 333 runs and took 6 wickets overall in the 3 Tests that he played against India.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/empowering-india-against-the-pandemic-ravi-shastri-receives-first-jab-of-covid-19-vaccine-367365" hreflang="en">'Empowering India against the pandemic': Ravi Shastri receives first jab of COVID-19 vaccine</a>

In the first Test against India, Root scored a 218 to lead England to victory. From the West Indies, Test debutant Kyle Mayers played 2 Tests against Bangladesh and scored a match-winning 210 to help the West Indies successfully chase 395 and win the first Test against Bangladesh. This performance alone is deserving of this nomination.&nbsp;

About ICC Women’s Player of the Month February Nominees:&nbsp;

Tammy Beaumont’s unbeaten 72 helped England to a comfortable seven-wicket win against New Zealand. She played 3 ODIs and passed fifty in each of these against New Zealand, totalling 231 runs.

Brooke Halliday of New Zealand also played 3 ODIs against England and scored a total of 110 runs and took a total of 2 wickets in these games. Brooke also went on to become just the fourth woman to score half-centuries in each of her first two ODI matches.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-becomes-first-indian-celebrity-to-have-100-million-followers-on-instagram-367305" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli becomes first Indian celebrity to have 100 million followers on Instagram</a>

England’s Nat Sciver went on to take 5 wickets and score a total of 96 runs in the 3 ODIs she played against New Zealand. Nat was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series between New Zealand and England, and added an innings of 63 in the second match that they won.&nbsp;

The ICC Player of the Month voting process:&nbsp;

The three nominees for each of the categories are shortlisted based on on-field performances and overall achievements during the period of that month (the first to the last day of each calendar month).&nbsp;This shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy&nbsp;and fans around the world.

The ICC Voting Academy comprising prominent members of the cricket family including senior journalists, former players, and broadcasters and some members of the ICC Hall of Fame.&nbsp;

The Voting Academy will submit their votes by email and will retain a 90% share of the vote. Additionally, fans registered with the ICC will be able to vote via the ICC website once the shortlisted players are announced and will have a 10% share of the vote. Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels.&nbsp;

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the nominees for the ICC Player of the Month Awards for the month of February to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the nominees for the ICC Player of the Month Awards for the month of February to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket. Fans have been treated to some fantastic cricket the last few months and can now vote on ICC's official website for their favourite ICC Player of the Month (February). About the ICC Men’s Player of the Month February Nominees: Ravichandran Ashwin played 3 tests against England as part of India’s ongoing series against them. In these Tests, he scored a 106 in the second innings of India’s second Test victory over England at Chennai and took his 400th Test wicket in the third Test victory at Ahmedabad. Scoring a total of 176 runs across these games with taking a total of 24 wickets, Ashwin is the deserving candidate to be nominated in the Men’s category for Feb. England Test captain Joe Root makes it to the list of nominations again this month for his outstanding performance with the bat and the ball. He scored a total of 333 runs and took 6 wickets overall in the 3 Tests that he played against India. ALSO READ: 'Empowering India against the pandemic': Ravi Shastri receives first jab of COVID-19 vaccine In the first Test against India, Root scored a 218 to lead England to victory. From the West Indies, Test debutant Kyle Mayers played 2 Tests against Bangladesh and scored a match-winning 210 to help the West Indies successfully chase 395 and win the first Test against Bangladesh. This performance alone is deserving of this nomination. About ICC Women’s Player of the Month February Nominees: Tammy Beaumont’s unbeaten 72 helped England to a comfortable seven-wicket win against New Zealand. She played 3 ODIs and passed fifty in each of these against New Zealand, totalling 231 runs. Brooke Halliday of New Zealand also played 3 ODIs against England and scored a total of 110 runs and took a total of 2 wickets in these games. Brooke also went on to become just the fourth woman to score half-centuries in each of her first two ODI matches. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli becomes first Indian celebrity to have 100 million followers on Instagram England’s Nat Sciver went on to take 5 wickets and score a total of 96 runs in the 3 ODIs she played against New Zealand. Nat was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series between New Zealand and England, and added an innings of 63 in the second match that they won. The ICC Player of the Month voting process: The three nominees for each of the categories are shortlisted based on on-field performances and overall achievements during the period of that month (the first to the last day of each calendar month). This shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprising prominent members of the cricket family including senior journalists, former players, and broadcasters and some members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy will submit their votes by email and will retain a 90% share of the vote. Additionally, fans registered with the ICC will be able to vote via the ICC website once the shortlisted players are announced and will have a 10% share of the vote. Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels.

Ashwin, Root and Mayers in contention for ICC Player of the Month for February

India opener Rohit Sharma has progressed six places to a career-best eighth position in the&nbsp;ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings&nbsp;after a fine performance in the low-scoring third Test against England in Ahmedabad that the home side won by 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

Rohit top-scored in the first innings with 66 and remained unbeaten on 25 in the second to move ahead of compatriot Cheteshwar Pujara among others. His rating points aggregate is 742, 20 more than his best of 722 in October 2019 when he was ranked 10th.

Player of the match Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin have also made solid gains after helping carve out a crucial win that helped India remain in contention for the ICC World Test Championship final. Left-arm spinner Patel’s 11-wicket match haul has helped him gain 30 slots to reach 38th position while off-spinner Ashwin’s seven wickets have lifted him four places to third position.

England spinner Jack Leach has entered the top 30 for the first time, moving up three places to 28th after taking four wickets. Captain Joe Root’s maiden five-wicket haul has lifted him 16 places to 72nd among bowlers while he is now joint-13th among all-rounders.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-2021-to-be-postponed-uae-alternate-venue-for-t20-world-cup-pcb-chairman-eshan-mani-366796" hreflang="en">Asia Cup 2021 to be postponed, UAE alternate venue for T20 World Cup: PCB Chairman Eshan Mani</a>

Opener Zak Crawley’s knock of 53 in the first innings has helped him advance 15 places to 46th in what was the only notable gain for any of their batsmen.

Meanwhile, the&nbsp;ICC Player Rankings&nbsp;move to a weekly updating system from March 2021.

The women’s player rankings will be updated at 08h00 GMT&nbsp;each Tuesday, which will include performances in all ODI and T20I matches completed till the previous day.&nbsp;

Similarly, the men’s player rankings will be updated at 08h00 GMT&nbsp;on Wednesdays across all three formats and will include performances in matches completed by the previous day.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/everyone-in-the-world-starts-crying-nathan-lyon-gives-his-verdict-on-ahmedabad-pitch-366756" hreflang="en">'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch</a>

So, the first update under the weekly system will be on Tuesday, 2 March for women and Wednesday, 3 March for men.

The change will not impact the way the rankings are calculated but what it means is that instead of rankings being updated at the end of a series (in ODIs and T20Is) or a Test match, they may be updated while a series or match is ongoing without performances in those matches being considered.

The change is being brought about to bring regularity to the ranking updates for both men and women, ensuring that fans know when to expect the latest updates.

India opener Rohit Sharma has progressed six places to a career-best eighth position in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after a fine performance in the low-scoring third Test against England in Ahmedabad that the home side won by 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

India opener Rohit Sharma has progressed six places to a career-best eighth position in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after a fine performance in the low-scoring third Test against England in Ahmedabad that the home side won by 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. Rohit top-scored in the first innings with 66 and remained unbeaten on 25 in the second to move ahead of compatriot Cheteshwar Pujara among others. His rating points aggregate is 742, 20 more than his best of 722 in October 2019 when he was ranked 10th. Player of the match Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin have also made solid gains after helping carve out a crucial win that helped India remain in contention for the ICC World Test Championship final. Left-arm spinner Patel’s 11-wicket match haul has helped him gain 30 slots to reach 38th position while off-spinner Ashwin’s seven wickets have lifted him four places to third position. England spinner Jack Leach has entered the top 30 for the first time, moving up three places to 28th after taking four wickets. Captain Joe Root’s maiden five-wicket haul has lifted him 16 places to 72nd among bowlers while he is now joint-13th among all-rounders. ALSO READ: Asia Cup 2021 to be postponed, UAE alternate venue for T20 World Cup: PCB Chairman Eshan Mani Opener Zak Crawley’s knock of 53 in the first innings has helped him advance 15 places to 46th in what was the only notable gain for any of their batsmen. Meanwhile, the ICC Player Rankings move to a weekly updating system from March 2021. The women’s player rankings will be updated at 08h00 GMT each Tuesday, which will include performances in all ODI and T20I matches completed till the previous day. Similarly, the men’s player rankings will be updated at 08h00 GMT on Wednesdays across all three formats and will include performances in matches completed by the previous day. ALSO READ: 'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch So, the first update under the weekly system will be on Tuesday, 2 March for women and Wednesday, 3 March for men. The change will not impact the way the rankings are calculated but what it means is that instead of rankings being updated at the end of a series (in ODIs and T20Is) or a Test match, they may be updated while a series or match is ongoing without performances in those matches being considered. The change is being brought about to bring regularity to the ranking updates for both men and women, ensuring that fans know when to expect the latest updates.

Rohit attains career-best 8th position in ICC Men's Test player rankings, Ashwin jumps to 3rd

Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday reacted to pitch criticism after India's 10-wicket win over England and said that these talks are getting out of hand. According to Indian spinner, one should talk about the quality of play rather than the pitch.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-considering-4-5-venues-for-ipl-2021-after-covid-19-surge-in-mumbai-366469" hreflang="en">BCCI considering 4-5 venues for IPL 2021 after COVID-19 surge in Mumbai</a>

"I think I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," said Ashwin while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Saturday.

"I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice," he added.

Ashwin further said: "The bowler wins the game, the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules? We need to get over it and if you are asking whether the pitch in the third Test was a good surface, I do not see any players of England coming out and complaining. You should be hoping for a good cricket match, not the surface."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jasprit-bumrah-released-from-indias-squad-ahead-of-fourth-test-bcci-366633" hreflang="en">Jasprit Bumrah released from India's squad ahead of fourth Test: BCCI</a>

Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently got 400 Test wickets, explained his cryptic tweet that read: "Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however, I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us."

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Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1365194203219722240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Ashwin explained his tweet by saying: "I went through my timeline, I saw many retweets and quote tweets, I don't understand if they didn't get it what they were retweeting it about. It is very simple, I have always wanted to talk about it at one stage. With respect to thoughts being put across and planted, I find it extremely hilarious. You have a thought process and you want everybody to follow, with thoughts, what happens is you condition people to believe in a certain manner.

"You watch a match, India wins the game, at most everyone is saying I am happy India won the game. You don't want people going back home and saying India is not winning the game, the pitch is winning the game. I do not want people to do that. I think it's important that people sell things, but we must know what we should buy," he added.

Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday reacted to pitch criticism after India's 10-wicket win over England and said that these talks are getting out of hand. According to Indian spinner, one should talk about the quality of play rather than the pitch.

Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday reacted to pitch criticism after India's 10-wicket win over England and said that these talks are getting out of hand. According to Indian spinner, one should talk about the quality of play rather than the pitch. ALSO READ: BCCI considering 4-5 venues for IPL 2021 after COVID-19 surge in Mumbai "I think I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," said Ashwin while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Saturday. "I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice," he added. Ashwin further said: "The bowler wins the game, the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules? We need to get over it and if you are asking whether the pitch in the third Test was a good surface, I do not see any players of England coming out and complaining. You should be hoping for a good cricket match, not the surface." ALSO READ: Jasprit Bumrah released from India's squad ahead of fourth Test: BCCI Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently got 400 Test wickets, explained his cryptic tweet that read: "Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however, I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us." Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 26, 2021 × Ashwin explained his tweet by saying: "I went through my timeline, I saw many retweets and quote tweets, I don't understand if they didn't get it what they were retweeting it about. It is very simple, I have always wanted to talk about it at one stage. With respect to thoughts being put across and planted, I find it extremely hilarious. You have a thought process and you want everybody to follow, with thoughts, what happens is you condition people to believe in a certain manner. "You watch a match, India wins the game, at most everyone is saying I am happy India won the game. You don't want people going back home and saying India is not winning the game, the pitch is winning the game. I do not want people to do that. I think it's important that people sell things, but we must know what we should buy," he added.

'We must know what we should buy': Ravichandran Ashwin's explosive take on pitch criticism

India on Thursday took a 2-1 lead in the four-test series after defeating England by 10 wickets at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. <o:p></o:p>

England looked clueless against Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel as the spin duo picked up a combined 18 wickets in both innings to bundle England out for 112 and 82 respectively.<o:p></o:p>

While Ashwin went on to achieve the monumental feat of 400 Test wickets – becoming only the third Indian to touch the landmark – local boy Axar Patel, playing just his second Test, registered his maiden 10-wicket-haul in Test cricket. <o:p></o:p>

The two teams went with contrasting decisions in terms of team selection. England picked up three pacers in their playing XI whereas India went with three spinners – suggesting both the captains read the pitch differently.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravichandran-ashwin-becomes-second-fastest-to-400-test-wickets-only-fourth-indian-to-achieve-milestone-366225" hreflang="en">Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second-fastest to 400 Test wickets, only fourth Indian to achieve milestone</a><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

Having won the toss, England opted to bat first and India’s decision to play three spinners came to fruition as captain Virat Kohli handed the ball to Axar in the sixth over of Day 1. While Axar and Ashwin spun the web around the English batters, the crowd inside the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium went abuzz. <o:p></o:p>

Zak Crawley was the only batsman to achieve a half-century in the first innings, with the second-highest being 17 by Joe Root as England finished the innings with just 112 on board. Axar picked up six, Ashwin three and Ishant – playing his 100th Test – one. <o:p></o:p>

With India’s innings starting during the twilight phase, England persisted with their three seamers. While the troika did trouble the Indian openers early on, Rohit Sharma went on to get his half-century. India’s batting line-up did suffer a collapse on Day 2, courtesy some fine bowling by Jack Leach and Joe Root – who picked up his first five-for in Test cricket – as India were bundled out for 145 runs, taking a 33 run lead. <o:p></o:p>

With the sun out in Ahmedabad on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test, Ashwin and Axar bowled 30 overs in tandem and picked up nine wickets. Washington Sundar was given his first over of the match and the youngster scalped a wicket in his fourth delivery to bundle out England for just 81. <o:p></o:p>

With a target of 49 on board, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill played their strokes and finished the match in the third innings of Day 2. <o:p></o:p>

India, with the thumping win, take a 2-1 lead into the four-Test series and will be looking to wrap up the series and a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final when they take the field for the fourth Test at the same venue, starting from March 4. <o:p></o:p>

India on Thursday took a 2-1 lead in the four-test series after defeating England by 10 wickets at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. England looked clueless against Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel as the spin duo picked up a combined 18 wickets in both innings to bundle England out for 112 and 82 respectively.

India on Thursday took a 2-1 lead in the four-test series after defeating England by 10 wickets at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. England looked clueless against Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel as the spin duo picked up a combined 18 wickets in both innings to bundle England out for 112 and 82 respectively. While Ashwin went on to achieve the monumental feat of 400 Test wickets – becoming only the third Indian to touch the landmark – local boy Axar Patel, playing just his second Test, registered his maiden 10-wicket-haul in Test cricket. The two teams went with contrasting decisions in terms of team selection. England picked up three pacers in their playing XI whereas India went with three spinners – suggesting both the captains read the pitch differently. ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second-fastest to 400 Test wickets, only fourth Indian to achieve milestone Having won the toss, England opted to bat first and India’s decision to play three spinners came to fruition as captain Virat Kohli handed the ball to Axar in the sixth over of Day 1. While Axar and Ashwin spun the web around the English batters, the crowd inside the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium went abuzz. Zak Crawley was the only batsman to achieve a half-century in the first innings, with the second-highest being 17 by Joe Root as England finished the innings with just 112 on board. Axar picked up six, Ashwin three and Ishant – playing his 100th Test – one. With India’s innings starting during the twilight phase, England persisted with their three seamers. While the troika did trouble the Indian openers early on, Rohit Sharma went on to get his half-century. India’s batting line-up did suffer a collapse on Day 2, courtesy some fine bowling by Jack Leach and Joe Root – who picked up his first five-for in Test cricket – as India were bundled out for 145 runs, taking a 33 run lead. With the sun out in Ahmedabad on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test, Ashwin and Axar bowled 30 overs in tandem and picked up nine wickets. Washington Sundar was given his first over of the match and the youngster scalped a wicket in his fourth delivery to bundle out England for just 81. With a target of 49 on board, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill played their strokes and finished the match in the third innings of Day 2. India, with the thumping win, take a 2-1 lead into the four-Test series and will be looking to wrap up the series and a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final when they take the field for the fourth Test at the same venue, starting from March 4.

Axar-Ashwin bamboozle England as India win pink-ball Test by 10 wickets, take 2-1 lead in the series

Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday entered the elusive 400-Test-wicket club after dismissing England’s Jofra Archer in the second innings of the pink-ball Test against England at the Narendra Modi&nbsp;Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Ashwin, with his 400th&nbsp;scalp, became the fourth Indian bowler and third Indian spinner to pick up 400 wickets in Test cricket while also becoming the 16th&nbsp;bowler overall to achieve the monumental feat.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ashwin also became the second-quickest&nbsp;bowler to have scalped 400 Test wickets after Sri Lanka spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-3rd-test-out-or-not-out-third-umpire-reverses-joe-roots-lbw-decision-as-netizens-fume-366216" hreflang="en">IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Out or not-out? Third umpire reverses Joe Root's LBW decision as netizens fume</a>

While Ashwin achieved the feat in his 77th&nbsp;Test match, Muralitharan completed the landmark in 72 Tests. He also became only the sixth spinner overall, after Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Rangana Herath and Harbhajan Singh to scalp 400 Test wickets.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Ashwin went past Zaheer Khan's tally of 597 international wickets to climb to the fourth spot on the list of Indian bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. Ashwin had dismissed Ollie Pope in the 28th over to overtake Zaheer's tally at the Narendra Modi Stadium.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/prithvi-shaw-shatters-record-books-with-blistering-double-century-366164" hreflang="en">Prithvi Shaw shatters record books with blistering double century</a>

Meanwhile, India&nbsp;continue&nbsp;to dominate the proceedings in the ongoing pink-ball Test. Spinners&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel and Ashwin troubled the English batters as they did in the second Test in Chennai.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday entered the elusive 400-Test-wicket club after dismissing England’s Jofra Archer in the second innings of the pink-ball Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday entered the elusive 400-Test-wicket club after dismissing England’s Jofra Archer in the second innings of the pink-ball Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ashwin, with his 400th scalp, became the fourth Indian bowler and third Indian spinner to pick up 400 wickets in Test cricket while also becoming the 16th bowler overall to achieve the monumental feat. Ashwin also became the second-quickest bowler to have scalped 400 Test wickets after Sri Lanka spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan. ALSO READ: IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Out or not-out? Third umpire reverses Joe Root's LBW decision as netizens fume While Ashwin achieved the feat in his 77th Test match, Muralitharan completed the landmark in 72 Tests. He also became only the sixth spinner overall, after Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Rangana Herath and Harbhajan Singh to scalp 400 Test wickets. On Wednesday, Ashwin went past Zaheer Khan's tally of 597 international wickets to climb to the fourth spot on the list of Indian bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. Ashwin had dismissed Ollie Pope in the 28th over to overtake Zaheer's tally at the Narendra Modi Stadium. ALSO READ: Prithvi Shaw shatters record books with blistering double century Meanwhile, India continue to dominate the proceedings in the ongoing pink-ball Test. Spinners Axar Patel and Ashwin troubled the English batters as they did in the second Test in Chennai.

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second-fastest to 400 Test wickets, only fourth Indian to achieve milestone

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