Ravichandran Ashwin Discussion Thread

[freelance_cricketer]

I have a gut feeling, he is actually Dhoni's first choice and will be unleashed in QF

[ethan hunt]

if that is the case than this has to b one of the worst strategies ever ......... if u wanna play him in the knockouts atleast give him sum confidence coz if he starts getting pummelled there will b no way bak

[Desi_Joker]

Very risky strategy indeed.

[Krishnan]

Lol I have a gut feeling whoever dhoni puts in his team,india will top the group now,go to premadasa for the quarters,lose the toss and go out of the tournament.

[ethan hunt]

Lol I have a gut feeling whoever dhoni puts in his team,india will top the group now,go to premadasa for the quarters,lose the toss and go out of the tournament.

and trust me whoever wins the toss in day night non minnow games in lanka will win the match 99 percent of the time .............. so this is highly likely

[dani2k]

Lol I have a gut feeling whoever dhoni puts in his team,india will top the group now,go to premadasa for the quarters,lose the toss and go out of the tournament.

India's quarters will be in India for sure

[ethan hunt]

Lol I have a gut feeling whoever dhoni puts in his team,india will top the group now,go to premadasa for the quarters,lose the toss and go out of the tournament.

btw dont india get to play their quarter in ahmedabad irrespective of where they end up ??

[Gabbar Singh]

Lol I have a gut feeling whoever dhoni puts in his team,india will top the group now,go to premadasa for the quarters,lose the toss and go out of the tournament.

India are guaranteed to play their quarters at Ahmedabad regardless of where they finish and who the opponent is.

[Krishnan]

btw dont india get to play their quarter in ahmedabad irrespective of where they end up ??

India's quarters will be in India for sure

India are guaranteed to play their quarters at Ahmedabad regardless of where they finish and who the opponent is.

Oh they have changed the format is it?just telling from the cricinfo schedule here.it says a4 vs b1 in colombo.sorry if it has changed

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cric...ate=wcfixtures

[Gabbar Singh]

Oh they have changed the format is it?just telling from the cricinfo schedule here.it says a4 vs b1 in colombo.sorry if it has changed

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cric...ate=wcfixtures

This explains it well:

The hosts of the 2011 World Cup will enjoy home advantage during the quarter-final and semi-final stage, the ICC has confirmed. Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh will play at home if they reach the quarter-finals, the venues for which are Mirpur (staging the first and the third game), Ahmedabad (second) and Colombo (fourth), as well as the semis. However, while the draw for the quarter-final in terms of who plays whom from each group has been decided - A1 v B4, A2 v B3, A3 v B2 and A4 v B1 - the sequence of these games will only be revealed at the end of the Group stage once the final positions of the concerned teams has been determined.

For the semi-finals, to be held in Colombo and Mohali, will involve the winners of A1 v B4 playing the winners of A3 v B2, and the winners of the A2 v B3 quarter final versus the winners of the A4 v B1 match.

"I can confirm that the three host countries will play the knock-out rounds on their own grounds," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, told reporters on the eve of the opening game of the tournament.

India are top of the pecking order in terms of home advantage. An ICC spokesperson said, "The seeding is done prior to the event and has nothing to do with where they finish in the group. Therefore, India takes precedence over Sri Lanka while Sri Lanka takes precedence over Bangladesh."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cric...ry/501561.html

[giri26]

I dont think its a great strategy as Ashwin isn't a mystery spinner like Mendis. He is just a good off-spin bowler with some variations. There is no reason to hide him. I guess Dhoni badly wants Chawla to succeed, since he gives a good look to the bowling combination.

[Krishnan]

This explains it well:




http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cric...ry/501561.html

Ha ha good them.This was probably the only thing was worried about.playing quarters and semis(if we win) in colombo.India has the best chance,its now or never for them to utilize the opportunity.

[ozymandias]

Dhoni : "We would have wanted to bat first, since this pitch will slow down as we go. We wanted to bring Nehra in, so Munaf is being left out. Piyush Chawla stays. Compared to Ashwin, Chawla needs more practice so we decided to play him today. Ashwin is mentally stronger, and it doesn't matter against whom he comes in, he will do well."

[ads101]

Good idea if true.

Chawla has got to be the most overrated indian spinner ever. It doesn't matter if he looks the part. Ashwin is one of the best, if not the best young spinner in the world. He's been outbowling harbajan in most of the ODIs he's played. Yet Chawla somehow is put in front of him. It's ridiculous.

People go on about chawla being an aggressive spinner. People forget that Ashwin's strike rate is actually 28 while Chawla's is 41. A strike rate of 28 is incredible for a spinner.

Ashwin's also a far better batsman too.

[freelance_cricketer]

Dhoni : "We would have wanted to bat first, since this pitch will slow down as we go. We wanted to bring Nehra in, so Munaf is being left out. Piyush Chawla stays. Compared to Ashwin, Chawla needs more practice so we decided to play him today. Ashwin is mentally stronger, and it doesn't matter against whom he comes in, he will do well."

that's the comment that gave me the impression that ashwin is gonna be unleashed in the QF

[avidlearner]

Whether it is a MSD's strategy or not, Ashwin is far far better cricketer (mentally/skillwise) with greater commitment towards the game than the one trick pony + half tracker specialist Chawla. By not giving chance to Ashwin, MSD is making serious blunder.

I am afraid, by the time Ashwin gets a chance in this WC, it might be too late for us to experiment. Even the best of the bowler/batter needs a real match practice prior to big games. And Ashwin is just an emerging talent with lots of potential.

So IMHO, MSD is doing disservice to the nation by keeping ineffective chawla for so long.

[*sallu*]

I have already mentioned this in an earlier thread

I can guarantee Ashwin will be playing quarter finals and beyond

[QuarterBack]

Ashwin is indeed Dhoni's secret weapon and will be unleashed

























In IPL4!!!

[freelance_cricketer]

I think it's about time, india unleashes ashwin. For how long is dhoni going to hide him

[freelance_cricketer]

IPL4 goes to kings x1 punjab:-)

[JibranAnsari]

going to be pakistan vs india in ahmedabad (most likely). How is the pitch in ahmedabad?

[freelance_cricketer]

I don't think fans and teams know much about ashwin except those who were playing or following ipl

[bala977]

Indeed seem so - Ash is usually Dhoni's first choice bowler (seamers included) - just look at IPL#3.

Make no mistake - Ashwin is VERY VERY HARD to play if you have not faced him before. While his bowling repertoire is good (has variations including the carrom ball), his stand out quality is his will to fight and rise up to a challenge

[KingKhanWC]

It will backfire if they end up playing Pakistan or Sri Lanka. Even their 'great' spinners like Singh and has been taken to the cleaners by these teams.

It's not the 70's. Teams have the technology to see a bowlers action close up, his ability to turn the ball and everything else about him.

Great bowlers take wickets regardless, look at Murali. Unless they want to hide some sort of magic ball. :adnan

[PakPrince]

is Ashwin seriously that much better than Chawla???

Haven't seen him play but hard to imagine there being such a gulf in class between the 2. And Aswhin' been aroound a while. Why hasnt he played more then?

[AZ]

^ I think OP is overrating him quite a bit.

QuarterBack bhaiyya has said it best

[emclub]

Ashwin is better bowler than Chawla in LOI's, Chawla is better in Tests

[gsivak]

I don't think there is any point in hiding Ashwin. Most players would have played against him in the IPL. I think Dhoni just wants Chawla to succeed somehow because Chawla was his pick.

[yadunoe]

how is he hiding hi . he played in a warm up match which was televised lol

[sohaib17]

i saw him in warm ups n his action looks dodgy to me .... but yeah he looks a good bowler against non asian teams but

if god forbid Pak vs India happens it will not be of any use .... cuz bhajji, chawla all good spinners have been avg against pak so yeah


maybe if india meets NZ, or Aussie then yeah it will be a good move

[ITGuy]

What Dhoni is saying is Ashwin is too good a spinner to be in playing XI. Given India's bowling riches, it makes perfect sense.

[AZ]

^ lol, good to see you back mate.

lagta hai England ke match ka sadma khatam hogaya hai

[ITGuy]

^ lol, good to see you back mate.

lagta hai England ke match ka sadma khatam hogaya hai

LOL! Working over time lately yaar! Hardly get time to log onto PP these days. Good to be back though

[Kenyan Desi]

I've repeatedly said this..India's spin trio will play a significant role in this WC. R Ashwin NEEDS to be given a game against South Africa..this is the time to unleash him..Games with kids are over..on to the big boys. MS Dhoni has experience playing with Ashwin. He is known to create stumping chances...

[freelance_cricketer]

Ashwin is also a very good death overs bowler. His second last over in t20 against south africa was exceptional in which he gave just two runs i think

[rajachoudhary50]

You make it sound as if he was Shane Warne + Murli + Mendis + Saqlain all in one. All this crap will end once India gets kicked out of QF

[praveen]

firstly there is nothing to hide. All the matches are being televised and analysts have no trouble to search for videos. But yes ashwin will play for sure , reason being, dhoni has made it clear that he prefers spinners early on as there is not much the pacers can do with new ball . Who better than ashwin to open the bowling?

[Poison]

If this is true, probably the most dangerous and stupid strategy in a world cup. Ashwin's not some seasoned veteran who will perform at the crunch time no matter what. He's very unproven, and if he has a bad game and gets smashed costing India their WC, it will be the end of his career.

[avidlearner]

If this is true, probably the most dangerous and stupid strategy in a world cup. Ashwin's not some seasoned veteran who will perform at the crunch time no matter what. He's very unproven, and if he has a bad game and gets smashed costing India their WC, it will be the end of his career.

This.

I too feel the same , i am big supporter of Ashwin but still he is just an emerging talent and not yet proven his prowess in a international arena. So by not giving him a sufficient match practice, MSD's strategy will only ruin his career(god forbid, if he goes for plenty)

Still he is miles ahead of One Trick Pony + Half Tracker Chawla

[praveen]

If this is true, probably the most dangerous and stupid strategy in a world cup. Ashwin's not some seasoned veteran who will perform at the crunch time no matter what. He's very unproven, and if he has a bad game and gets smashed costing India their WC, it will be the end of his career.

Poison, it wont be true. By all probability he might play against SA or atleast against West indies before being thrusted into the quarters. No alarms and no suprises.

[SG]

You make it sound as if he was Shane Warne + Murli + Mendis + Saqlain all in one.

Can't agree more. Whatever I've seen of him in ODIs, he ain't that special by any stretch of imagination. As for his performance in IPL, that counts for nothing. Only thing which helps him immensely to be this much hyped is him playing under Dhoni in IPL and him being a TN-ite.

BTW, we're probably reading too much into that Dhoni statement. Dhoni is far more shrewd than we all know. He is a captain (and a very successful one at that) for what, close to 3 years now in all forms of the game. He knows this better than everyone of us that you can't expect a rookie to straightaway start performing on biggest stage in world cricket in knockout games. So I doubt he has Ashwin in his mind as his surprise 'weapon' in knockout stages of this WC.

Of course, I might be proved wrong as this tournament goes on but as I said earlier Ashwin isn't anything special to be rated so highly by some.

[Shahrukh Khan]

Yes. Like Afridi is hiding Junaid Khan before knockouts.

Wo alag baat hai ke kaheen Knockout se pehle hi na Kickoff ho jain

[pakroyals]

Ashwin who ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndFMU...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCvrq...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zxNR...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kRdV...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlLfw...feature=relmfu

[Krishnan]

Ashwin who ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndFMU...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCvrq...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zxNR...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kRdV...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlLfw...feature=relmfu

Lol there are about 14 matches for each team in the IPL and you royally picked the minority where he was hit.He was the man of the series in "champions trophy" in south africa,and highest wicket taker for chennai super kings in the IPL.

[freelance_cricketer]

What about the Junaid guy, Pakistan also doing the same?

[pun500]

is Ashwin seriously that much better than Chawla???

Haven't seen him play but hard to imagine there being such a gulf in class between the 2. And Aswhin' been aroound a while. Why hasnt he played more then?

ashwin is not that easy to hit ...for a spinner he can hit the block hole very easily due to his height + his variations are handy ..he kept the likes of gilly sehwag sachin quiet in pp during ipl

[pun500]

Poison, it wont be true. By all probability he might play against SA or atleast against West indies before being thrusted into the quarters. No alarms and no suprises.

yup dhoni has already confirmed he will play in 1 group game

[cricketindiafan]

May not work unless its a spinning track with some bounce. On flat tracks with low bounce any spinner will get hit by good batsmen.

[PakPrince]

He did not even play a game in the SA series.


Just saw a few videos of him.. looks pretty ordinary. nothing special in the action. Might be economical at best but certainly not someone who can through a batting line up!

[octavian]

What about the Junaid guy, Pakistan also doing the same?

nop. Junaid wont be played in crucial knockout stages.

[avidlearner]

He did not even play a game in the SA series.


Just saw a few videos of him.. looks pretty ordinary. nothing special in the action. Might be economical at best but certainly not someone who can through a batting line up!

Ashwin might look innocuous, that's were his strength comes from. He is not a raging turner of the cricket ball like Murali or any of the great offies before him. But he does have a sharp cricketing brain and very good accuracy to bowl ball after ball in block hole (in particularly Very good against Left handers).

Luckily he is by far the best bowler to have a well disguised Carom ball in India (Even Bhajji, the Indian media's darling can't do that). He won the bowler of the tournament in Champions league held at South Africa for very good reasons. He's been leading the wickets pack in Indian Domestic scene for the good part of last 3 years. He is no mug with the bat either, and can do a decent enough job at the lower order.

In whatever little opportunities that Ashwin has got, he has proven his worth as a team player and as a captain's bowler. So I would say don't write him off so early. I can assure you he is no chawla or bhajji, Ashwin is very different.

I really hope and pray that he proves many of his fans back home here in Tamilnadu (and rest of the India) right (if only MSD could give him an opportunity) about his skill/ability.

[freelance_cricketer]

Ashwin not played even today !

[bala977]

Guys - Ashwin is Dhoni's man. So there ought to be a very good reason why MSD is holding him back.

In India tracks, Ashwin has already proved that he is a superior bowler. So I am still subscribing to "MSD secret weapon" theory

[Sufi Malang]

The real world cup (for the top teams) starts with the QFs so its not a bad idea if any team is hiding their special weapon and would unleash it in the knock-outs!

[pun500]

Guys - Ashwin is Dhoni's man. So there ought to be a very good reason why MSD is holding him back.

In India tracks, Ashwin has already proved that he is a superior bowler. So I am still subscribing to "MSD secret weapon" theory

he will defo play in chennai ..his home ground

[avidlearner]

Ashwin would have certainly done much better job than the Nehra in this game.

Lots of question marks hanging over MSD's tactics and stubbornness

MSD is sure gonna have a field day at the media in the coming days

[ozymandias]

Ashwin will definitely play in Chennai, his home ground... or atleast I hope so after the 3 pacer debacle.

[freelance_cricketer]

News of the day

Ashwin has been unleashed !

[sam]

News of the day

Ashwin has been unleashed !

Pollard says Hi!

[avidlearner]

Its going to be an interesting contest today (In the evening)

All the Best Ashwin

[shahrukh619]

Why are they hiding him? Does he also have a pakora ball to??

[freelance_cricketer]

Good shot for just a single, Polllard stops Pathans's hit

[freelance_cricketer]

Oh no, wrong thread

[freelance_cricketer]

Why are they hiding him? Does he also have a pakora ball to??

Got s wicket with a beautiful pakoda ball

[Decipher]

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar says India badly need a specialist left-arm spinner now for the quarterfinals vs Australia.

By Our Correspondent

Sunil Gavaskar usually doesn’t joke when he makes a statement on Live international television. Sunny certainly wasn’t fooling when he told a panel of experts that “R. Ashwin will win the World Cup for India.”

It was the customary Cricket Extra show on STAR Cricket channel after India defeated the West Indies by 80 runs at Chennai on Sunday night. Harsha Bhogle was anchoring the studio chat alongside Pat Symcox, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sourav Ganguly. Gavaskar and Ian Bishop were at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.

On a question on Ashwin, who took two for 41 in his full quota of 10 overs, Gavaskar said: “Ashwin will win India the World Cup.” For a young man who just made his Cup debut, this was quite a telling statement from a man whose words carry a lot of weight.

Ashwin justified his selection ahead of Piyush Chawla or an Ashish Nehra. His bowling was neat and intelligent. Skipper MS Dhoni gave him the new ball and he had the right attitude to step in and deliver. With the bat, he was unbeaten on 10 off seven balls as the rest of the batting collapsed. Hence, Gavaskar’s faith in Ashwin seems justified.

Gavaskar said India badly needed a left-arm spinner at this stage. Although Yuvraj Singh was doing a fairly good job, Sunny felt the need of a specialist. He even suggested tongue-in-cheek that India should “injure” one of its pacemen and then ask for a substitute. Hope the ICC is not listening!

http://www.espnstar.com/cricket/icc-...-WC-for-India/

[Amir]

Not sure he is that important but I def have liked the looks of him since making his debut. Seems like a very intelligent bowler and relies more on traditional guile and flight to beat a batsmen.

[AZ]

Gavaskar promoting underhand tactics?

wah, kya baat hai.

[Minku]

I was actually very impressed with his variation and control. He looks 10 times better than Harbhajan who looks like a part time bowler these days..

[zains_rulez]

Gavasker plz wake-up munnay

[insaaniyat]

^ Gavasker is right, but there a problem. India will not play the final

[Poison]

Lol at 'Gavaskar doesn't joke around on national live television'.

Most of what he says is a joke.

[W63L35]

Gavaskar: Ashwin will win WC for India

...and Gavaskar's commentary will win him an Oscar Award for being the biggest drama queen......... and his coulmn are going to win him Pulitzer Prize!

[Decipher]

I have a lot of respect for Gawaskar. I think he is perhaps one of the very few unbiased Indian commentators who do no hold any grudge against Pakistan.
Before the group match against NZ in 1992, I remember Gawaskar professed "If Pakistan wins against NZ tomorrow, then there is no power in the world that can stop Pakistan from winning the world Cup" (and we sure went all the way).
I also remember he came to Pakistan to celebrate WC 92 victory. Standing next to Imran Khan, he was part of the Pakistan squad on the vehicle that was driven inside the Gaddafi stadium among thousands of chanting fans.

Having said all that, I think age is getting the better of him. Ashwin may be a good run stopper but I don't think he has what it takes to carry the entire team over over the line.

[GabKhan]

Actually he does look very good.

But he also looks like he can be smashed, but at the same time looks like a wicket could fall at any time. Looks very much like a test bowler, like Kaneria.

His doosra is interesting, because it comes out the very front of his hand with his fingers rolled over. This gives it kind of a flipper spin that Afridi uses. Unusual way to bowl it, but it gets a different spin so it can be very dangerous. But, I also think batsmen could pick the doosra more easily due to where it comes out of the hand, but I may be wrong about this.

[yadunoe]

guys hes not far off here, ashwin is a very very good bowler and his freshness to the international cricket scene might replicate what ajantha mendis did with sl.

[AZ]

I have a lot of respect for Gawaskar. I think he is perhaps one of the very few unbiased Indian commentators who do no hold any grudge against Pakistan.
Before the group match against NZ in 1992, I remember Gawaskar professed "If Pakistan wins against NZ tomorrow, then there is no power in the world that can stop Pakistan from winning the world Cup" (and we sure went all the way).
I also remember he came to Pakistan to celebrate WC 92 victory. Standing next to Imran Khan, he was part of the Pakistan squad on the vehicle that was driven inside the Gaddafi stadium among thousands of chanting fans.

Having said all that, I think age is getting the better of him. Ashwin may be a good run stopper but I don't think he has what it takes to carry the entire team over over the line.

90s mey sahi tha, lekin jabse Indian team thori behtar hui hai, ussi hisaab se Sunny ki bakwaas bhi barney shuroo hogayi hai.

has been terrible for at least a decade now.

[gsivak]

Ashwin looks like a good prospect but it is way too early for him to be winning us any series let alone the WC on his own.

[donsrk]

who is ashwin.. definitely not Amir

[Kenyan Desi]

Ashwin and his Carrom ball..Australia better beware of these two. Watson is definitely a candidate for lbw or caught behind if Ashwin opens the bowling.

[SG]

I think Ashwin is unduly hyped here. Let him play some series for India. To expect him to win this WC for India is foolhardy IMO.

At least I don't rate him much.

PS: Needless to say, I'd love to be proved wrong though.