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Ravichandran Ashwin and Michael Vaughan (File Photo: X)
A verbal showdown was initiated just a few weeks ago in the cricketing world after the former England skipper Michael Vaughan made a statement about Team India; the Englishman went on to call India one of the most ‘underachieving sides’ in world cricket. He also felt that India hadn’t performed up to the expectations in the last couple of years.
“They haven't won much in recent times. I think they are (an underachieving side). They don't win anything. When was the last time they won something? With all the talent they have, all the skill-set (they should have achieved more,” said Vaughan during a panel discussion on Fox Sports.
"Frankly, it made me laugh." - Ravichandran Ashwin in reply to Michael Vaughan's statement
However, it seems like Vaughan’s remark didn’t go down well with the veteran Indian off-spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin as he came up with a very strong reply to the former England captain. Ashwin also called out the Indian cricket experts and former Indian cricketers who joined the bandwagon in questioning Team India after Michael Vaughan's ‘underachieving side’ remarks for Rohit Sharma’s men.
“Michael Vaughan made a statement after the first Test that India is an underachieving team. Yes, we haven't won major international trophies for years. We call ourselves the powerhouses of the game. But the Test team has been one of the best travelling teams in the vicinity. We have seen many great results,” said Ashwin in a video on his YouTube channel.
“After he said that, so many experts from our own country started questioning if India is an underachieving team. Frankly, it made me laugh. Picture yourself. Just reverse the situation. SA batted first in this Test after winning the toss. If SA had batted first after winning the toss in Centurion, wasn't there a chance they could have gotten all out by 65? Even India was staring at the barrel at 20/3, thanks to Virat and Shreyas' partnership from there to save us,” he added later.