R Ashwin defends Pandya & Co. after T20I series defeat: 'Very easy to criticise'

Ravichandran Ashwin. Pic/AFP

The critical analysis of India's loss to the West Indies in the T20I series has not gone down well with veteran cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin who feels there were several positives as well despite the defeat.

India lost the closely-contested T20I series 2-3 after winning the Test and ODI series, but losing to a side that failed to qualify for the Super 12s during the 2022 T20 World Cup, has critics targeting Hardik Pandya's side.

"Obviously, after losing the series, many of them are criticising (the team) and (are) upset. It's understandable. But we can see this loss from two perspectives. Many players did well for India," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin felt it's not easy for any youngster to go and perform on foreign soil straightaway. "It is very easy to criticise the team on social media since they lost to a side that did not qualify for the last T20 World Cup (Super 12) and the 50-over World Cup (in India this year). In all countries, there will be some innate secrets (home advantage).

"Local players will know these little things more than the visiting team's players, especially when the visitors are youngsters. When I visited West Indies, England and Australia for the first time, I had to learn various little things," said Ashwin.

"So many youngsters would have learned so many things when they toured the West Indies for the first time. They will become better as cricketers. They will definitely get better from here," he added.

Also Read: India left to lament lapses in the Caribbean

Ashwin was all praise for young batter Tilak Varma, who emerged the highest run-getter in the T20Is, and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.

"The emergence of Tilak Varma as a batter (is positive). In the final T20I, he chipped in with the ball, too. Suryakumar Yadav continued (his) brilliance in T20 cricket...his fearless batting.

"The opening combination of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi won us the fourth T20I. Jaiswal did not play well in his first T20I (third T20I of the series). (But later) his approach made us wonder if he is going to be the future of T20I batting," said Ashwin.

"He went for the shots from the very first over. It was a breathtaking batting performance in the second game. We have so many youngsters in the pipeline."

Jaiswal scored just one in his debut T20I but in his second game (fourth of the series), he scored an unbeaten 84 and shared a 165-run stand with Shubman Gill.

'Shaw a talented player'

Ashwin also complimented India opener Prithvi Shaw, who slammed a superb 244 as Northamptonshire defeated Somerset in the One Day Cup in England recently.

Shaw backed it up with another impressive unbeaten hundred against Durham before a knee injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Ashwin hailed him as an "outstandingly talented player".

"I saw the boundary snippets from his knock. It really looked good, and that was an exceptional knock. We all know Prithvi Shaw's extraordinary bat swing, and he is an outstandingly talented player."

"Both (Cheteshwar) Pujara and Shaw have done really well. Pujara is going through an amazing run of form. This is giving valuable game time for both," he said.

"Really happy for Prithvi Shaw because he has seen plenty of ups and downs in his short career so far. So, for someone like him, away from home in England, seeing new players will be a bit of fresh air for him.

"He will have plenty of learning about his life, work ethic, cricket and what not (in England), because he will be in a position to teach a few youngsters in England as well. Even that can transform your cricket."

(With agency inputs)