India performed poorly in the first match of the series against South Africa, failing to chase down a mark of 124. Former players criticized the present batters’ ability to play spin, and rightfully so. Meanwhile, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed that hitters from prior generations had greater tactics than the present crop.
The spinner emphasized that to win in subcontinent conditions, teams must handle spin significantly more successfully. He also recalled a similar situation last year, when India was thrashed 3-0 by the touring New Zealanders, owing primarily to Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel’s spin danger.
“I am gonna stick my neck out and say in another game in an era where spin bowling was combated very well. I will take the names Amol Muzumdar and Mithun Manhas, who is the BCCI President, and I won’t take all the names, but Sachin Tendulkar in his prime, the God of Cricket. If these guys had played on the same wicket against spin, this game would have gone to four days,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.
In a total of 16 batters, only three to four players have defended well. If you want to play on turning tracks, then your game against spin has to be good; otherwise, don’t play on such pitches as simple.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin highlighted that foreign teams are now better equipped to handle spin than the hosts, owing to considerable practice under such conditions. The Chennai native went on to say that, while India prepares adequately for pace when traveling abroad, there is a noticeable absence of targeted spin practice among Indian hitters for home conditions.
“Most Western teams are better than India now because they come to India, they practice it a lot more, but we don’t practice enough of it. But we are superior players of fast bowling in many other venues right now because we consider that as a challenge, but not this. That is the difference.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
The second Test of the series, which begins on November 22 at Guwahati, must be won by India in order to tie the series.
