Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin denied Alastair Cook’s allegations of running on the protected area of the pitch intentionally during the second day of the third Test against England at the Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium in Rajkot. He expressed that he just wasn’t able to get off the pitch in time.
The incident took place when Ravichandran Ashwin and Dhruv Jurel were at the crease for India. Ashwin hit a full delivery from Rehan Ahmed to the cover region and set off for a run. However, Dhruv Jurel sent him back. Ashwin was caught running on the protected area of the pitch. The umpires had a word with the spinner and penalised India five runs for the offence. This wasn’t the first instance, as Ravindra Jadeja was also warned by the umpires earlier in the match for running on the protected area of the pitch.
Former England cricketer Alastair Cook expressed that India deliberately caused the offence to get more help off the surface when they came on to bowl. He said,
“Is it deliberate? Yes, it is. It’s a tactical ploy that you can disturb the middle of the wicket because Ashwin wants as much help [as possible] when he can bowl. Normally, it happens in the third innings. You’re 150-200 runs ahead and you think, ‘just make sure you get up and down the wicket’… that was gamesmanship there, wasn’t it?”
If that’s how they want to treat it, so be it: Ravichandran Ashwin
Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lashed out at Alastair Cook for his allegations. He expressed that he wasn’t running on the protected area of the pitch intentionally in Rajkot. He further added that he also clarified the same with the on-field umpires, Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena. Ravichandran Ashwin said,
“They clearly warned some of our batters (on Thursday) for running on the pitch. I was aware of it, but my poor motor skills didn’t allow me to get off the pitch in time. If the English media and players think it was on purpose, it wasn’t. If that’s how they want to treat it, so be it. I went to (on-field umpires) Joel (Wilson) and Kumar (Dharmasena) and said ‘That’s pure poor motor skills. If I was any better, I would have been in the Olympics. Why play cricket.”
India managed 445 runs in the first innings, on the back of centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Debutants Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel also made valuable contributions. In response, Ben Duckett slammed a century, scoring 153 runs. England are 260/5, trailing by 185 runs with Ben Foakes and Ben Stokes at the crease.
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