Former India player Ravichandran Ashwin has come heavily down on skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir for a lack of game awareness during the ongoing fifth Test between India and England at The Oval. The hosts need just 35 runs to win the fifth Test and take home the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 3-1. Like it happened on the first Leeds Test, the Gill-led side yet again squandered a golden opportunity to win the fifth Test.
While India can still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, England are clear favorites to win the Oval Test as they also have four wickets in hand. Ashwin felt the visitors made a few tactical blunders by not bowling Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja a bit earlier on Day Four.
"Coming back to the topic of spinners not being used, I have felt in this series that there has been a lack of game awareness and, in many ways, our tactical acumen - both on and off the field. This is the main reason why England are ahead in this series and India are behind. We have not been the sharpest," Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, Ash Ki Baat.
"I feel Shubman Gill will get much better as a captain. He will learn. But sometimes, if you feel that you can play spin really well, you might not bring spinners into the attack. And when you miss the right moment to introduce spinners in these conditions, they become a defensive option," he added.
India missed a trick by not introducing spin to Harry Brook: Ashwin
The former off-spinner also stated that Shubman Gill missed a trick by not introducing spin twins Jadeja and Sundar into the attack a bit early when Harry Brook was still in the 20s. The right-hand batter is a very good player of spin, but sometimes his ultra-aggressive approach also falters, resulting in his dismissal.
"When Harry Brook started taking it on, after 20 runs, you could have brought on the spinner to choke the run flow. From the other end, a pacer could have bowled. With all this in mind, Washington Sundar could have been introduced earlier into the attack," Ashwin said.
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"Making these mistakes again creates a huge gap. We don't know whether the message is going from outside to the middle. We don't know what's being discussed in the dressing room. But in today's day & age, these mistakes can definitely be avoided," he added.
