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India’s Ravichandran Ashwin bats during the 3rd day of the second Test vs England.© BCCI
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen criticized Ravichandran Ashwin‘s batting on Day 3 of the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam. While India were in a dominating position in their second innings despite losing wickets in a heap towards the end of play, Ashwin went into a defensive mode of batting. He was eventually dismissed for a 29 off 61 after edging a Rehan Ahmed delivery to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes while going for a front-foot defence. Pietersen was disappointed with the way Ashwin batted.
“Day 3 belonged to India. They did waste their opportunities though. I don’t know what Ashwin was doing with the tail. They were 211 for four before being bowled out for 255. So they wasted the opportunity of drilling England. If they could have gone over 400 or 450, it would have been 100 per cent a result for India,” Pietersen told Jio Cinema at the end of day’s play as quoted by Hindustan Times.
Shubman Gill struck form with a century as India left England a record victory target of 399 on day three of the second Test on Sunday.
England, who lead the five-match series 1-0, reached 67-1 at stumps after opener Ben Duckett fell for 28 in Visakhapatnam.
Left-hander Duckett put on an attacking 50-run stand with fellow opener Zak Crawley, batting on 29, before Ravichandran Ashwin got him out for his 497th Test wicket.
Nightwatchman Rehan Ahmed, on nine, joined Crawley with England needing another 332 for victory.
The highest fourth-innings target successfully chased against India is England’s 378 at Edgbaston in 2022, and the most successful in India was when the hosts got 387 against England in 2008.
Spinners Tom Hartley and Ahmed combined to bowl out India for 255 after Gill’s 104 on a day of bowling and fielding brilliance.
(With AFP Inputs)
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