Former England batsman Mark Butcher lauded India off-spinner R Ashwin for his aggressive approach with the bat on Day 3 of the 2nd Test at the “Chepauk” in Chennai. India lost five wickets early in the day’s play, but Ashwin battered the England spinners, stitching a brilliant 96-run stand with skipper Virat Kohli.
Butcher, while speaking on Star Sports during the Lunch break on Day 3, stated that the 34-year-old is a fine all-round cricketer, whose batting gets overlooked.
“Ashwin has just come out very, very aggressive. Virat is playing in a very calculated way. It’s very tricky to bowl to these players. The ball is getting a little bit older, which is not helping England and the bowlers are losing a bit of the fight,” said Butcher.
“Ashwin is some cricketer, isn’t he? He has taken a five-for in the first innings, along with the 6 wickets he picked in the first Test,” the 48-year-old added.
“He makes unbelievably valuable runs in the Test, he is batting at no. 8 in this Test match. He is a very fine all-round cricketer. And his batting gets overlooked in terms of its productivity,” he further stated.
Butcher also said that England bowled well on Day 3, and added that the things could’ve worked out differently for them, had they bowled this way in the first innings.
“Having played a little bit of cricket myself, I can guarantee you this, it’s much easier to come out and bat on a tricky pitch when you already have a lead of 200 in the first innings.
“It’s much more straight forward. So, England showed how different the Test would have been, had they bowled as well as they started off this morning,” Mark Butcher, who featured in 71 Test matches for England, further stated.