Veteran Indian off-spinner R Ashwin laughed off the media reports that claimed that the Wankhede Stadium’s pitch was altered for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semifinal clash between India and New Zealand.
A lot of media reports from England and Australia claimed that the BCCI influenced the pitch conditions for the semifinal against New Zealand by requesting a ‘used’ pitch. Such allegations fueled speculations about the board’s undue interference in the game.
Well, Ashwin deemed the suggestions laughable and emphasized the need to understand India’s diverse topography, which results in distinct soil types in different regions.
As reported by PTI, Ashwin said: “Journalists from other countries comment that the pitches have been changed and so on but it is clearly laughable. India is a unique country, different parts of the country have different soils."
Using Ahmedabad as an example, he mentioned that the city alone features more than 3-4 varieties of soil in the cricket pitch.
Ashwin expressed amazement in response to George Bailey's comment regarding the pitch, calling it a captivating moment. He emphasized the importance of developing a deep grasp of India's different conditions and how they naturally influence the nature of pitches.
While addressing the pitch controversy, Ashwin took a moment to praise Pat Cummins' performance in the World Cup final.
He added: "Ahmedabad in itself has more than 3-4 varieties of soil in the square so, what George Bailey said regarding the pitch made me spellbound, but Pat Cummins' execution needs to be applauded.”
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Ashwin mentioned that he witnessed a rare spectacle during the ICC World Cup 2023 final when the Australian pacer Pat Cummins flawlessly executed the art of bowling with a traditional field setup for an off-spinner.
He noted, “In the last 4-5 games leading up to the final, almost 50 percent of the balls were cutters. In the final, he had a four–five (four on off, five on leg) field like an off-spinner. He bowled only three balls in the 6-meter mark towards the stumps in the entire 10-over spell. He knocked off crucial wickets in the final — a game-breaking spell by Pat Cummins apart from calling the toss right.”
The Indian off-spinner also lauded Shreyas Iyer for his impressive batting at the recent ODI World Cup 2023, where he amassed 530 runs in 11 innings.
Ashwin said, “Batting against spin and taking them down is Shreyas' specialty and he is a standout performer. Chasing excellence is a rare commodity in sports. If somebody does something unique, people, instead of appreciating it, tell them not to do it.
What I love about Shreyas is that he chases excellence, he took a note to master the pull shot and worked on it. He got out on it but look at the number of balls he put away to the boundary? Balls were sent to the midwicket region and behind square, which shows he is ready for that ball. He hit fast bowlers above mid-off, definitely the sign of a champion batter developing for India.”
He also lauded the highest wicket-taker of the CWC 2023, Mohammad Shami (24 wickets) for his magic with the ball.
Ashwin signed off by saying, “There is something in mythology called Midas touch. Like Midas, Shami had the golden touch with him. Whenever he bowled, there was a wicket. I don't remember how many times as first ball in a spell was a wicket (taking one) in this tournament.”
Notably, Ashwin was part of India’s CWC 2023 squad but he got to play only one game in the mega event.
(With PTI Inputs)
