Watch: R Ashwin might be as masterful as anyone with a ball in hand, but the same can’t be said when he’s chasing one.
The great man, who turns 38 this year, has probably earned the privilege of taking it a little easy on the field, what with his long list of injuries, some that even made him contemplate retirement a few years ago.
Surrounded by younger and swifter men, Ashwin continues to enjoy his status as the country’s best off spinner, even if that means compromising a tad on the fielding front.
On day three of the Hyderabad Test against India, Ashwin was at the centre of a couple of fielding gaffes, as England mounted a commendable resistance against the hosts’ bowling attack.
In one of the instances, Ashwin chased the ball but couldn’t match up with its pace, putting in a dive, only to see it roll past him to the boundary, despite a last-ditch effort with his foot.
In a separate incident, he ran behind an Ollie Pope sweep shot from mid on, chasing it along with substitute Rajat Patidar from deep square leg. The two fielders converged as the ball approached the ropes, but there was no communication – Patidar jumped over, thinking Ashwin would get it. Ashwin gave up, thinking Patidar would.
Ashwin wasn’t the only culprit on the field – there were a few more misfields, including a dropped catch by Axar Patel. Add to that, there were six no-balls too, all by Ravindra Jadeja.
England ended the day on 316-6, led by Ollie Pope’s century and 326 runs ahead.
Watch Ashwin’s first fielding error here:
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