Twitter Reactions: Ravi Ashwin goes all expensive in the big finals

When India did not pick Ravi Ashwin in the first game, there were murmurs about his exclusion but since India won, not many paid attention. Post India’s loss to Sri Lanka in the next game, there was a huge clamour on Ashwin not getting a look in despite being the No. 2 ranked bowler in Test cricket.

Ashwin was immediately drafted into the XI for the next do-or-die game against South Africa. The 30-year old did a reasonable job by picking 1/43 off 9 overs on his return. He provided the vital wicket of Hashim Amla, who was looking good. The off-spinner did not get any wickets in the game against Bangladesh, as he did a tidy job returning with 0/54 off ten overs. All eyes were on Ashwin for the big finals. The general consensus was to include Umesh Yadav for this game at the Kennington Oval but Kohli went in with the experienced spinner.

Choosing to field first, Indian bowlers were taken for runs early on by a determined Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman. Virat Kohli turned to Ravi Ashwin in the 8th over. Ashwin fired in floaters to Zaman, a left-handed batsman. In hindsight, he would have been better off in giving the ball a bit of air and landing on the middle stump. He did give some air to the ball to Azhar Ali – who is considered a grafter in ODI cricket – but he was quick to come down the wicket and hit it for a six over long off. 10 runs came off Ashwin’s first over and he looked under pressure immediately.

From there on, Ashwin mostly bowled sliders and avoided the off-spin, his usual stock ball. He did well to give away 36 runs in 6 overs but what followed next, left everyone bamboozled. He was taken for 36 runs in his last four overs, including 17 from his 7th over when Zaman got stuck into him. Because he was bowling floaters, there was no turn at all for the off-spinner and Zaman could easily come down and whack him over the bowler’s head for a couple of sixes.

Ashwin eventually finished with 0/70 off his 10 overs, a spell he would want to forget as quickly as possible. The alarming fact about his spell was that he was taken apart from a left-hander, the precise reason he was got into the attack, who is still a rookie at this level.

Here are the tweets for Ashwin’s rare terrible performance today: