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Ashwin is known for his mind games and so, today's incident could be the latest episode of that.
The India-England Test in Visakhapatnam remains finely balanced. After bowling India out for 396, England raced to 80/1 in their first innings. While Ben Duckett fell early, Zak Crawley is holding strong with a fifty. He has the company of Ollie Pope, who scored a century in the previous match. Both batsmen will look to build a significant partnership and put England in a commanding position.
Earlier today, Yashasvi Jaiswal became the latest Indian batsman to score a double-century in Tests, reaching 209 with a sweep shot off debutant Shoaib Bashir. His innings proved crucial as several other Indian batsmen fell after promising starts, leaving the team in need of a significant score. Jaiswal's knock provided much-needed stability and helped India reach a competitive total of 396.
Anderson-Ashwin duel adds to the intensity
Amidst all the action, the first session today saw a heated moment as well. While James Anderson was bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin, at the non-striker's end, extended his arm during Anderson's run-up. This movement reportedly distracted Anderson, who expressed his displeasure to the umpire. Additionally, Anderson raised concerns about Ashwin's proximity to the crease.
— Nihari Korma (@NihariVsKorma) February 3, 2024
Dinesh Karthik who was on commentary at the time, noted that there could be a possibility that Ashwin did that on purpose to play mind games with the pacer. Eventually, it was Anderson who had the last laugh as he dismissed Ashwin when he was 20.
James Anderson and Ravichandran Ashwin have a well-documented and complex history regarding their views on running out a non-striker backing up. In 2019, Ashwin famously ran Jos Buttler out during an IPL match, sparking immense controversy. He has defended his actions, citing the law's legality and emphasizing the importance of fair play. Following Ashwin's actions, Anderson expressed strong disapproval, even shredding a photo of Ashwin in a video. He believes it's against the spirit of the game and should be avoided.