'His 19th over was underrated': Ashwin on Arshdeep Singh

NEW DELHI: Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised seamer Arshdeep Singh for delivering a superb 19th over under pressure against the West Indies in a must-win Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Kolkata on Sunday.

Although Arshdeep returned wicketless figures of 0/43 in his four overs, he conceded just six runs in the penultimate over with big-hitters Rovman Powell and Jason Holder at the crease.



Ashwin felt that over went under the radar, saying people often judge bowlers purely by the wickets column — a mindset shaped by the race for the Purple Cap in the IPL.

Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97 powered India to a five-wicket win at Eden Gardens, sealing a semifinal spot in the crucial encounter.

"Arshdeep Singh gave more than 40 runs from four overs, but maybe his 19th over was underrated. People always make decisions seeing no wickets. We are used to seeing the Purple Cap in the IPL. He did not get a wicket, but the execution in the 19th over, even if he did not get a wicket, completely broke their momentum. It was a crucial over. West Indies could have ended up 210-220 as well," he said on his YouTube channel 'Ash ki Baat'.

Arshdeep has picked up eight wickets in six matches in the tournament so far, averaging 21.37 at an economy rate of 7.77.

Ashwin, however, noted that India’s bowling in the last few matches has lacked sharp execution despite the evident talent in the attack.

"In the last two to three games, I feel India's bowling, slightly, the execution has not been flash. There is a lot of ability, but they are making small mistakes. You need to know exactly when to be defensive and when to attack. I don't want to pick instances, but at least on three to four occasions, where we could have bowled deliveries to shut down, we have not done that. It is my only issue. If you are playing a tight game and giving away boundaries just because you are looking for a wicket, it is somewhat not okay, and those 15-20 runs could cost heavily," he stated.


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