AB de Villiers expressed surprise at India being penalized with five runs during the third Test against England in Rajkot. The penalty was issued because Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin ran on the danger area of the pitch, leading to a reprimand from the on-field umpire.
AB de Villiers explained the challenge batters face in focusing solely on running in a straight line when there’s an opportunity for a quick single, highlighting the difficulty of avoiding distractions in such situations.
As a batter sometimes you know it’s a tight run and you wouldn’t want to run sideways- AB de Villiers
In a video on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers shared his thoughts on the matter. He said,
“Ashwin running on the pitch was very interesting to me. I haven’t seen something like that reflected on the scoreboard. Five runs scored and no balls bowled (laughs). It was the first for me, very interesting. As a batter sometimes you know it’s a tight run and you wouldn’t want to run sideways and then in a straight line as it would lead to a run-out. So this is really tricky,”
Ravichandran Ashwin was seen having an animated discussion with the umpire after being penalized during the third Test against England in Rajkot. Despite having to withdraw from the game due to a family medical emergency, Ashwin returned on Day 4 to help India achieve their biggest Test win ever in terms of runs margin (434).
You’re one of the toughest bowlers I have played against- AB de Villiers on Ravichandran Ashwin
AB de Villiers also praised Ravichandran Ashwin for becoming the ninth bowler in Test history to reach 500 wickets. He had a special message for the veteran off-spinner.
“Ash, if you ever listen to this, congratulations. You’re one of the toughest bowlers I have played against, an incredible asset to the Indian team with both bat and ball. I had also tweeted that Jaddu and Ashwin are two such all-rounders together that you don’t get in a team. He is a stalwart and doesn’t always get enough credit for the player that he is and the role that he plays in the Indian team,”
India has opted to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test against England in Ranchi, starting from Friday, February 23. This decision likely amplifies the importance of Ravichandran Ashwin’s role for the hosts as they seek to potentially secure the series’ victory.
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