New Delhi [India], November 17 : Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardnes.
After witnessing the debacle, former off-spinner Ashwin, who was instrumental to India's success in the last decade on turning tracks with his mastery in spin, believes Western countries are far superior in tackling spin than India. The opening Test between India and the World Test Champions, South Africa, barely lasted three days after the hosts failed to gun down the 134-run target and bundled out for 93.
"I am gonna stick my neck out and say in another game in an era where spin bowling was combated very well. I will take the names Amol Muzumdar and Mithun Manhas, who is the BCCI President, and I won't take all the names, but Sachin Tendulkar in his prime, the God of Cricket," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"If these guys had played on the same wicket against spin, this game would have gone to four days. In a total of 16 batters, only three to four players have defended well. If you want to play on turning tracks, then your game against spin has to be good; otherwise, don't play on such pitches as simple," Ashwin added.
India lost captain Shubman Gill due to a neck spasm in the first innings. Without the skipper, Gill's deputy Rishabh Pant took the mantle in his stead as India attempted to pull off a tricky chase with 10 men. Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals despite the resistance act from Washington Sundar (31 off 92) and Axar Patel (26 off 17).
Simon Harmer was the true mastermind behind India's downfall, scything wickets of Pant, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja with his left-arm spin to return with figures of 4/30. India's struggle against Harmer was a bitter reminder of the modern-day giants' declining art against spin.
From 2016 to 2019, India batters averaged 53.3 at home against spinners. However, from 2020 to the present day, the average has declined to 33.8 with a batting strike rate of 60. The result of the fallen average directly resonates with India's declining domination at home.
From 2011 to 2023, India lost just five Tests and won 41. In contrast, when Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, India lost five games since the beginning of last year. According to Ashwin, it all comes down to India's preparation against spin. The 39-year-old believes India has transformed into much better players to play on fast bowling tracks because they take it as a challenge, unlike their approach to spin.
"We are the best players of spin going around in the world at this point in time. Most Western teams are better than India now because they come to India, they practice it a lot more, but we don't practice enough of it. But we are superior players of fast bowling in many other venues right now because we consider that as a challenge, but not this. That is the difference," Ashwin added.
South Africa notched a Test win in India for the first time since 2010; the Proteas will look to make history by clinching the series in the second and final fixture, scheduled to begin at Assam's Barsapara Stadium on November 22.