Former England cricketer Mark Butcher on Monday praised India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for his performance with both the bat and ball on day three of the second Test match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Ashwin’s prowess with the bat against England spinners on the third of the Test in Chennai helped build a crucial partnership with captain Virat Kohli after India lost five quick wickets early in Monday’s morning session. Both players hit fifties, taking India’s lead over 380 runs not long after the lunch break.
Butcher complimented Ashwin on his aggressive approach and his overall performance in the series so far, adding that he is a fine all-rounder, but his batting is “overlooked in terms of its productivity”.
Speaking on Star Sports during the Lunch break on Day 3, Butcher said that Ashwin is a fine all-round cricketer, whose batting gets overlooked.
“Ashwin has just come out very, very aggressive. Virat is playing in a very calculated way. It’s very tricky to bowl to these players. The ball is getting a little bit older, which is not helping England and the bowlers are losing a bit of the fight.” Butcher said on Star Sports.
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“Ashwin is some cricketer. He has taken a five-for in the first innings, along with the six wickets he picked in the first Test. He makes unbelievably valuable runs in the Test, he is batting at No.8 in this Test match. He is a very fine all-round cricketer. And his batting gets overlooked in terms of its productivity,” he said.
Butcher also gave his assessment on England’s play in the second Test, saying if the visitors had bowled in the first innings the way they did in the morning on day 3, the match could have gone differently.
“England showed how different the Test would have been had they bowled as well as they started off this morning. England’s bowling in the first innings was poor; 329 was far, far too many runs to have been given away in the first innings. Rohit played well as well. This England team will fight, there is no doubt about it. Even if they are up against it in ways that you would not imagine, they would come out and fight.
“They picked up the five wickets. Ben Foakes was absolutely stunning, Jack Leach bowled quite beautifully to make life difficult for India’s top order this morning. But eventually, the bowl got a little bit older, the lead keeps growing and India are having their way with England once more,” he added.
Butcher further said that he would be backing India as they are “miles ahead” in the match.
“It’s going to be a tough day, England have perhaps exceeded the expectations a little bit, but India are miles, miles ahead. No one has ever chased 300 before here. If lead was 170, I would still be backing India.”
