R Ashwin tears into Gill, Gambhir for ‘lack of game awareness’: ‘You can’t commit these mistakes in today’s day and age’

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is not pleased with India’s tactics during the fifth and final Test against England, saying the visitors’ tactical acumen has been off, citing a lack of game awareness. Heading into the fifth and final day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, both results are possible – England require 35 runs. India need four wickets. Harry Brook and Joe Root threatened to take the game away in England’s chase of 374, but a late surge helped India stage a comeback on Day 4.

Brook and Root scored centuries for England, but with both batters dismissed, India had the edge. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton are currently at the crease, and the duo will try its best to help England win to register a 3-1 series victory.

Ashwin was not happy with India’s tactics during Brook and Root’s 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket, saying the visitors could have brought Washington Sundar into the attack earlier to curb the run flow.

“Coming back to the topic of spinners not being used, I have felt in this series that there has been a lack of game awareness and in many ways, our tactical acumen both on and off the field. This is the main reason why England are ahead in this series and India are behind. We haven’t been the sharpest,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

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“I feel Shubman Gill will get really better as the captain. He will learn. But sometimes if you feel that you can play spin really well, you will not bring spinners into the attack, and when you miss the moment to bring the spinners in these conditions, then the spinner becomes a really defensive option,” he added.

‘You can’t make such mistakes’

Ashwin went on to state that had Sundar been brought into the attack early on, he could have allowed India to have some control and create more pressure on Harry Brook, who was taking the pacers to the cleaners.

“When Harry Brook started taking it on, after 20 runs, you could have brought on the spinner to choke the run flows. From the other end, a pacer could have bowled. With all this in mind, Washington Sundar could have been brought earlier into the attack,” said Ashwin.

“Making these mistakes is a huge gap. We don’t know whether the message is going from outside to the middle. We don’t know the dressing room talks. But in today’s day and age, these mistakes can definitely be avoided,” he added.

In the 76.2 overs India have bowled thus far in the fourth and inning, only eight have been bowled between Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja. In the first innings, Sundar didn’t get a single over while Jadeja bowled just two.