Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reacted to Michael Vaughan’s statement that ‘India is the most underachieving side in the world’. The off-spinner hit out the former English cricketer, saying that the Indian team is a powerhouse in world cricket.
Michael Vaughan’s comments came after India suffered a thrashing innings and 32-run loss against South Africa. The Rohit Sharma-led side were blown away by the hosts in the Centurion Test and they looked clueless against the Proteas.
As India lost the match, Michael Vaughan while commenting during the Test series between Australia and Pakistan made a shocking statement. He said that he cannot remember when was the last time India won something.
Michael Vaughan continued that despite all the talent, skillset, and resources they have, India has won nothing and is the most underachieving side in the world. He had stated:
“Here’s a question for you: India, in terms of cricket, are they one of the most underachieving sports teams in the world? With all the talent that they have, I think they are, yeah. Well, they do not win anything. When was the last time they won something? With all the talent they have, all the skillsets…
they won here (Australia) twice, magnificent but the last few World Cups, have been nowhere, 120 World Cups, nowhere. You go to South Africa, who are, you know, useful in Test match cricket and to produce a performance like that… I mean, with all the talent they have, and the resources they have, I do not think they win anything.”
After his statement, India made a sensational comeback and won the second Test against South Africa. They became the first Asian team to win the Test match in Cape Town and also for the first time since 2011 drew the series in South Africa.
“It Made Me Laugh,” Ravichandran Ashwin Hits Out At Michael Vaughan For Calling India Underachieving
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was part of the Indian squad for the South Africa series, after reaching home reacted to Michael Vaughan’s statement. The off-spinner admitted that his side hasn’t won the ICC title for a while but they call themselves powerhouses of the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin also pointed out that India is one of the best touring teams in the world and they have achieved some great things. He also hit out at Indian experts who echoed Vaughan’s voice and stated that it made him laugh. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:
“Michael Vaughan made a statement after the first Test that India is an underachieving team. Yes, we haven’t won ICC trophies for years. We call ourselves the powerhouses of the game. But India’s Test team has been one of the best traveling teams in the vicinity.
“We have seen many great results. After he (Vaughan) said that, so many experts from our own country started questioning if India is an underachieving team. Frankly, it made me laugh.”
India hasn’t won a single ICC trophy since 2013. They have faced some disappointing losses but one cannot question the brand of cricket they have played. The Rohit Sharma-led side since the last one decade has been the dominating force.
They have dominated opponents completely at home and apart from this, they troubled the opposition a lot. They won two Test series in Australia and drew series in England and South Africa. With the kind of talent and skill they have, it’s fair to say that the ICC title is also not far away.
