IND vs USA: Ravichandran Ashwin kicks aside Virender Sehwag's criticism, doubles down on 'wicket-taking is overrated' remark

India successfully defended 120 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 in New York on Sunday. This is the lowest total India defended in men's T20Is. Several other records were broken with India's win against their arch-rivals.

On a day, when the Indian batters could not score too many runs, the Indian bowlers stepped up to the plate. Jasprit Bumrah took 3/14 to lead the charge while Hardik Pandya took two. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took one each.

Arshdeep Singh defended 18 off the final over and India won the match by six runs by not bowling Pakistan out. The Men in Green were going well and Mohammad Rizwan's wicket in the 15th over just after a break changed the course of the match for Pakistan. 

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin has taken the example of this particular match to prove a point that he has been long speaking about. In the recently concluded IPL, he said that wicket-taking is overrated in T20Is. He ended the season with just nine wickets in 15 games at an average of 51.89 and a strike rate of almost 40. He did struggle initially but then picked wickets late in the tournament. 

Also Read: USA vs IND: Hardik Pandya namedropped as Ricky Ponting hails Rohit Sharma's strategic brilliance during India's win vs Pakistan

In T20 Wickets Happen: Ravichandran Ashwin

With the match panning out the way it did, Ashwin explained his point once again in his recent tweet with India winning the match despite not bowling Pakistan out. 

“Wicket taking is overrated in T20” Very often when I have said this, people tend to slide into mock it. “In T20 wickets happen and how!! is totally dependant on the entry point of the bowler and of course the ability to execute apt skills in that over or ball like Bumrah did last night" he wrote in his tweet.

He further said that bowlers in the modern game look for wickets rather than trying to limit the damage and hence not helping their fellow bowlers. He said that there will be a group of bowlers who will understand the importance of bowling dot deliveries as well. 

"Very often bowlers search for wickets at faulty times thinking it’s an aggressive option, hence denying his/her teammate the pressure pocket for the next over. Slowly but surely, a set of selfless bowlers doing what it takes will be the order of the game."

“Wicket taking is overrated in T20”
Very often when I have said this, people tend to slide into mock it.

“In T 20 wickets happen and how!! is totally dependant on the entry point of the bowler and of course the ability to execute apt skills in that over or ball like Bumrah did… pic.twitter.com/mX9o8YZrE5

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 10, 2024

Ashwin's tweet was in context to an article from ESPNCricinfo which spoke about the need to not bowl out opposition teams to defend low totals but to bowl smartly. Indian bowlers executed their skills brilliantly in the last match and eked out a win in a tough situation. 

The win takes India to the top of the points table. The USA are placed second in Group A. Pakistan will now have to win big against Canada and Ireland hope for a few other results to go their way. Pakistan who played in the final of the last T20 World Cup are yet to win in this tournament.

Former Pakistan cricket experts and their fans are in disbelief that Pakistan could not chase down a target of 120 to win against India. This was the seventh time India beat Pakistan in T20 World Cup.

Also Read: USA vs IND: Aakash Chopra indirectly calls Suryakumar Yadav a 'minnow basher' after failure vs Pakistan