R Ashwin claims Shubman Gill didn’t deserve Player of the Match award in Edgbaston Test

Legendary India National Cricket Team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a "big statement" claiming that the Test captain Shubman Gill didn't deserve to win the Player of the Match award in the Edgbaston Test.

According to Ravichandran Ashwin, the best candidate to be awarded the Player of the Match in the second Test between India and England was right-arm pacer Akash Deep.

Also Read: Pakistan great insults Rishabh Pant with "Indian Shahid Afridi" claim, before backtracking

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Shubman Gill and Akash Deep helped India crush England at Edgbaston

Captain Shubman Gill and pacer Akash Deep, who replaced Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI, played a vital role in India's dominant victory over England by 336 runs at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Shubman Gill was India's top performer with the bat, while Akash finished as the best performer with the ball. The Indian skipper Shubman Gill led his team from the front by playing a sensational knock of 269 runs in the first innings and followed it up with a stellar 161 in the second innings.

Shubman Gill shattered numerous historic records with his heroics with the bat and became the second-highest individual run-scorer in a Test match, behind Graham Gooch. He was awarded Player of the Match for his performance.

Talking about Akash Deep, the Bengal pacer filled in the shoes of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah perfectly. He bagged a sensational four-wicket haul in the first innings, dismissing Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Chris Woakes.

In the last innings, Akash Deep showcased his best-ever performance in Test cricket and registered the figures of 21.1-2-99 -6, dismissing Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, and Brydon Carse.

Akash Deep should have been awarded the Player of the match - Ravichandran Ashwin

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin said that Akash Deep deserved to win the Player of the Match award because not only did he pick wickets for himself, but he also assisted Mohammed Siraj in getting a 6-fer in the first innings. He elaborated:

"This might be a big statement to make, but Akash Deep should have been awarded the Player of the match. Shubman Gill batted beautifully, no amount of praise would be enough. Gill has created history, records are there to be made and he's rewritten it, no doubt about it."

"But all said and done, Akash Deep's six-fer in the second innings and his four wickets in the first innings. Because of those four wickets, Siraj was able to get the six wickets in the first innings. Akash Deep was delivering the ball from different angles with the same wrist position.

"I don't have a problem with the man of the match. I don't buy the theory about heroes. In an IPL match, there are super fours, super sixes, super 12s, fastest delivery you give all these awards. You can give them in Tests as well, bowler of the match and batsman of the match."

He is defeating one in every five balls - Ravichandran Ashwin hails Akash Deep

Further hailing Akash Deep, Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted that the pacer generated a false shot percentage of 22.8% in the Edgbaston Test. He stated:

"Arshdeep Singh performs in the IPL, swings the ball in white-ball cricket but bear in mind that Akash Deep's performances in first-class cricket. Look at his impact at Edgbaston. His impact is such that he has been able to generate a false shot percentage of 22.8%. He is defeating one in every five balls. In a sample size of 10 balls, he is creating two false shots. That is a lot."

"In a 40-over span, he has obviously gone a higher economy rate, England have tried to take him on. England, all-in-all, are stuck."