Former India cricketer urges Rohit Sharma to allow Ravichandran Ashwin to lead the team onto the field in fifth Test against England

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his first fifer of the ongoing five-match Test series against England in Ranchi. On Day Three, the home team was way behind in the game to begin with. However, they ensured that the Three Lions got the lead of only 46 runs. Dhruv Jurel (90) helped the team get to 307, in reply to England’s 353 in the first innings.

In the second innings, the European side had no answer to the Indian spin duo of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav. They combined for all 10 wickets in the second innings. With this, the Asian needed to chase 192 runs to win the game and the series. Meanwhile, at the end of Day Four, the 1983 World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar urged Rohit Sharma to allow Ashwin to lead the team in the last Test next month.

“India win tomorrow, and you go to Dharamshala (for fifth and final Test), I just hope that Rohit allows you to lead the team out to the field. That’ll be a wonderful gesture, honour for all that you have done for Indian cricket,” Gavaskar said while speaking to Ashwin on Jio Cinema after end of third day’s play.

“Sunny bhai, you are being too generous, thanks so much. However, expectations about all these things, I think I am well past all that. But genuinely saying, I am enjoying every single moment I am being with this team. The longer it lasts, I will be happy,” Ashwin said.

It is wonderful to see Ravichandran Ashwin right up there: Anil Kumble

On the other hand, former India Test skipper and head coach, Anil Kumble spoke about Ashwin’s possibly going past Kumble’s 619 runs.

“It is wonderful to see Ashwin right up there and I’m sure he will go beyond that. He still has a lot of matches to play for India. That’s why I also say that when someone has had that kind of a start to his Test career, the expectations are higher. When he doesn’t pick up fifers in two innings or two Test matches, people suddenly talk about his form, action, about why he is changing this and that. But that is all noise, which you need to keep away, and champion bowlers do that. Ashwin has certainly done that in this innings where India needed him most,” said Kumble.