“They were below par, not at their best” - Ravi Ashwin on India’s performance against the Netherlands

Former Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin wasn’t impressed with the Indian team’s performance against the Netherlands in the group stage encounter, stating that it was a below-par effort and not at their best.

Speaking on the ‘Ash ki Baat’ YouTube channel, while Ashwin praised the Indian team’s consistency in the group stage, he stated that the performance against the Netherlands wasn’t flawless. However, he added that even when the team isn’t at its sharpest, its overall strength makes it hard to beat.

"Surya played a very diligent knock. For the acceleration point, Dube, Hardik, and Rinku were there. They knew they could catch up on the scoring rate. But India weren't extremely good vs the Netherlands with the bat, not extremely efficient. But it is such a solid team that even on their ordinary day, they can put you away. They were below par, not at their best. But still, with Varun Chakaravarthy bowling so well, the Netherlands could not pick him. Jasprit Bumrah got swing in the Powerplay and bowled yorkers too," Ravi Ashwin said on Ash ki Baat.

Furthermore, Ashwin has shared his views on the No.3 batter Tilak Varma’s batting approach in the group stage. Notably, Tilak faced severe criticism for playing with a low strike rate on a flat track in Ahmedabad. However, Ashwin highlighted that T20 success doesn’t always depend on power-hitting, but also the value of timing and placement. 

"Tilak Varma is coming back after an injury. We talk about power and strength, but sweet spot and timing are the basic essence of batting. Tilak is not a big power hitter. For him, timing and finding the sweet spot are most important. Please remember, you can play like Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi), but you can also play like Tilak, who relies on timing and picks the gaps," Ashwin concluded.

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