Boria Majumdar
When R Ashwin called it quits midway through the tour of Australia last December, India didn’t just lose a bowler who had taken 537 wickets in just 106 Tests – second only to Anil Kumble (619) among Indians. They also lost someone with 3,503 Test runs and six centuries. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also having announced their Test retirements since, it’s very much a new-look side that will take on England in five Tests starting June 20. In this exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, Ashwin assesses the captaincy challenge facing Shubman Gill, explains why Rishabh Pant should bat at No. 5, and uses science to demystify how Jasprit Bumrah’s workload should be managed.
Boria: How are you looking at this transition phase of Indian cricket, with a young team, new captain, and new vice-captain?
R Ashwin: It is a very interesting Test series, and I am very excited to see what unfolds. I would be playing the TNPL, so I might miss out on the first two Test matches, but still very excited. We can call this a transition, but genuinely it is not as big a transition as it would have been in the past. For example, a Sourav Ganguly or a Rahul Dravid on that 1996 England tour didn’t face fast bowlers at 140 [regularly]. All they had was Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Paras Mhambrey and Dodda Ganesh, and once they ended up bowling in the nets, that was it.
The amount of exposure the current generation of cricketers have is unbelievable. When you look at a Sai Sudharsan who would probably make his debut this Test series, he has actually faced a Mitchell Starc, a Kagiso Rabada, a Pat Cummins, a Gerald Coetzee, and a Josh Hazelwood. Now, he will be embarking on his English tour, but it won’t be too alien as it would have been in the absence of IPL. He has also played at Surrey, so he knows a bit about playing at The Oval. Vikram Solanki is his coach at Gujarat Titans, so IPL is really a factor that builds up the confidence for today’s cricketers. So, I am really excited for both Indian boys, as well as to see the approach of the English boys.
Boria: How do feel about Shubman (Gill) as captain, and Rishabh (Pant) as vice-captain?
Ashwin: Experience in Test cricket makes all the difference in the world, and experience in T20 can sometimes lead to mistakes in a Test, but still, I would say these young players have done extremely well in the recent overseas tours – be it England, Australia, or South Africa. It will definitely be missed – the leadership, the captaincy, the experience of 300 tests – but these young boys have proved their might by being in the game despite losing players at different situations. And a major part of this was possible due to the contribution from the Indian bowlers.
The recent Test series in Australia, we didn’t bat well after the Perth Test, but the bowlers kept us interested. In the absence of which, it would have been a pushover. There were times where even the Australian bowlers were struggling to keep the pressure on. The battalion of left-handers that we have, who do they have to challenge them on wickets that are going to be placid? If they are going to play on flat pitches, we can actually go back to Kuldeep Yadav, who can pick wickets. I think Indian bowlers have got it covered. [Jasprit] Bumrah is coming back from injury, but still there is enough depth to keep rotating and keep England’s batters in check.
Boria: We have made mistakes in the past, where we have left out important players in important situations. Do you recommend that no matter what happens, go with Kuldeep Yadav because he is a possible match-winner there?
Ashwin: India have lost test matches in the past when they have played their best bowlers, but your batsmen have not come through. When batsmen will come through, then the best bowling attack will win you matches. If they don’t leave moisture on the pitch, then I think Kuldeep Yadav would be a certainty. And if there is moisture in the pitch, then Kuldeep should be there. Jasprit Bumrah should be No. 1, alongside a Ravindra Jadeja, for control and who can bat in the top five or six. And then, Kuldeep Yadav. This bowling attack can dismiss any batting lineup in any conditions. Not to forget [Mohammed] Siraj who is like a warhorse.
Boria: You have not addressed the question on Shubman (Gill) as captain and Rishabh (Pant) as vice-captain. Your thoughts on that?
Ashwin: I think Rishabh is a high-quality Test batsman. He can just walk into that team as a pedigree Test batsman even if he does not have to hold on to the gloves. Fantastic Test batter with a questionable choice of shots sometimes, but I guess he comes with it and he gives you match-winning knocks. It’s only a matter of time when he finds out the formula and rectifies it to become more consistent. He should be walking in at No. 5 as No. 6 for him would be a bit too late in my view. He has a lot of time on hand; he does not get out a lot. I would be glued to the TV set if he is batting.
About Shubman Gill, I think he is already too overwhelmed by the attention and responsibility he has got. If I was in his place with such a high-pressure job, I would want to have a very good start as a batsman. As a batter, he will have his share of questions on his place, as England can be a very tough place to bat. But if he makes runs, runs will give confidence and that would in turn rub on to captaincy. He is a very special player, and I hope he gets off to a very good start to avoid any questions raised. But I think Rishabh goes into the series with a lot more certainty than Shubman. Test cricket is a lot about game awareness that grows and develops. In a recent test against England in Ranchi, Shubman’s second-innings 50 spoke volumes of his attitude and transforming potential.
Boria: Your thoughts on the importance of Ravindra Jadeja overseas?
Ashwin: The kind of impact he has had on the batting line-up is amazing. The way he batted, the way he shouldered responsibility. He has taken time and has led [India] to some unbelievable victories. There was this Trent bridge knock that he played that was impactful. We would have ended up winning that match if it didn’t get washed out the next day. He has been a silent warrior in Test matches, as a batter in SENA countries.
Boria: When Virat [Kohli] retired, a lot of us said that this guy was the ambassador for red-ball cricket. Do you see Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as two ambassadors of red-ball cricket going forward?
Ashwin: I do not think anybody who has played the game, or will play the game, is higher than the game itself. Nobody that walks the park does good for the game – the game does good or bad by them. I love Virat, but he has come, played the game, left the game, left it at a great place. And now, it is for someone else to take it forward. Now looking forward to the attitude and desire of talents like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel to take it ahead. It’s time to see if they can replicate the intense energy that players like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar showed on the field all these years. Having said that, it is everyone’s responsibility in the team to show that energy and desire.
Boria: A loss at home against New Zealand, a loss in Australia as far as recent red-ball cricket is concerned. A massive series ahead for Gautam Gambhir and his staff. Your thoughts?
Ashwin: I guess you are trying to centre the question around what he can bring to the table, because he has lost three potential-filled players in the last three months. In all honesty, I think this is a team he will really enjoy and be comfortable in the dressing room, because this will be totally young team who would want to learn from him, asking a lot of questions. Can’t say for sure that this is going be very easy or very hard, but what I would personally want to see this young team develop is a lot of stability of the players, not one loss dictating three to four changes in the team. With youngsters, the security of place is very important and that is what will help them grow.
Boria: Thoughts on how R Ashwin would have handled Jasprit Bumrah in this series?
Ashwin: How does one handle the fast-bowling attack or even the spin-bowling attack that we have? We are in an era where there is a lot of data and science available. Indian team walks out every time with a device called ‘catapult’ on their back, that tracks their running speed, amount of distance covered and a lot of other fascinating data. The other side of it is to interpret it well and use it, which is currently being done by the trainers et cetera. There is the medical science team in the NCA and a medical team who are the doctors, and physiotherapists for the Indian team.
Now, I would like to know from Bumrah himself, what is the maximum capacity running speed for Jassi, and what is his dropping point when has he felt jaded. What is the speed that he is going at when he’s tired, and the maximum speed when he is going well. Every bowler has a rhythm and a run-up speed. The fluidity around the path will tell you whether the bowler is tiring or not. Numbers will tell you when to rest the players. Otherwise, one will have to go with the feel of it. So, if we have the data, then we can tell when he is breaking down and when in optimal position. It can be tracked at all times, like when he is working out or running or lifting loads.
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🚨 EXCLUSIVE : Ravichandran Ashwin Bold Assessment on Gill, Pant & What England Tour Holds!
R. Ashwin, India’s spin wizard, goes deep into the transformation of Indian Test cricket! In this exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, Ashwin assesses Shubman Gill’s captaincy challenge,… pic.twitter.com/4nNqirAZGz
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