In a warm-up match, R Ashwin grabs two wickets in two balls, stakes a claim to a spot against Pakistan.
In India’s final warm-up encounter before the Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup on Wednesday, Ravichandran Ashwin demonstrated why he is still a power in white-ball cricket by picking up two wickets in two deliveries against Australia. As Australia only managed 152 runs in their 20 overs, Ashwin sent back David Warner and Mitchell Marsh in consecutive deliveries to set the tone for the innings. Ashwin is coming off a bad IPL season with the Delhi Capitals, and it will be interesting to see if the team management notices this and decides to play the great spinner in the crucial match against Pakistan.
According to reports, India will very certainly play with two spinners in the playing XI, pitting Ashwin against Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, and Varun Chakaravarthy. In the match against Australia, all four spinners were on the field. Chahar finished with 1/17 from three overs, while Jadeja was dismissed for 35 runs in four overs, picking up one wicket. Chakaravarthy was tested in the death overs, where he went for 23 runs in two overs.
As Warner attempted to play a reverse sweep, Ashwin trapped him in front. He then shot another faster one, inducing an outside off Marsh that was caught on the first slip. Ashwin has 52 wickets for India in 46 T20Is and was a regular in the lineup till 2017.
He was left out of the 2019 ICC World Cup squad, but has since clawed his way back into the squad thanks to strong performances in the IPL in 2019 and 2020, as well as domestic white ball competitions.
In Test cricket, Ashwin has 413 wickets in 79 matches, making him one of India’s most prolific wicket-takers.