If Dominic Sibley can score a double ton against Ravi Ashwin, he’s good enough for me: Darren Gough

Dominic Sibley made his Test debut against New Zealand last year at Mount Maunganui. Since then, he has played nine Tests in which he has scored 588 runs at an average of 42. His strike-rate of 36.61 means that he prefers to bide his time in the middle, getting the measure of the conditions and the opposition bowling. Even in the ongoing Test series against West Indies, he has done well.

However, there has been talks that he strains to face the spinners. Thus far, among spinners, Roston Chase, Keshav Maharaj and Mitchell Santner have gotten rid of him. In the meantime, former England fast bowler Darren Gough feels that if Sibley can play out Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin and scores a double century, then he’s good enough at the highest level.

If Dominic Sibley can play against Ashwin, he’s good enough, says Gough

“People keep telling me he can’t play against spin. I got told the other day that he got a double hundred against Ashwin,” Gough was quoted as saying on Sky Sports’ The Cricket Debate show. Sibley had scored a double ton when Ashwin was in the opposition representing Nottinghamshire. Playing for Warwickshire, Sibley notched the century.

Gough didn’t mince any words in saying that Ashwin is among the very best in the world. “Ashwin is one of the best spinners in the world, if not the best, and he got a double against him and smacked him to all parts apparently. So, if he can play against Ashwin and get a double, he’s good enough for me!” added stated.

Ashwin is currently a stalwart of the Indian Test team, having picked up 365 wickets from 71 matches with 27 five-wicket hauls to show for his efforts. He lost his place from the ODI and T20I teams in 2017 after the emergence of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

As far as Sibley is concerned, he got a duck in the first innings of the Southampton Test, but turned out with a fifty in the second. In the second Test, his 120 helped England draw level in the series. He is expected to have a bright future in the offing.