'We call ourselves the powerhouses..' - Ravichandran Ashwin lashes out at Michael Vaughan's remark on India being an 'underachieving' side

Finally, it is India's star cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin who has responded to Michael Vaughan's comment that India is 'underachievers,' asserting that the team has been one of the premier travelling sides in Test cricket. Vaughan made this statement during a panel discussion on FOX Cricket during the Australia vs Pakistan Test series. The former England skipper expressed his opinion that the Indian team has not achieved significant success in major tournaments and labelled them as underachievers.

Responding to Michael Vaughan's comment, R Ashwin who is nominated for the men's Test cricketer of the year, addressed the remark on his YouTube channel. He acknowledged that while India hasn't clinched major trophies in recent years, the team has delivered exceptional results in Test cricket, particularly when playing away. Ashwin expressed amusement at the notion that the Indian team is considered underachievers by some Indian experts.

“Michael Vaughan made a statement after the first Test that India is an underachieving team. Yes, we haven't won any major trophies for years. We call ourselves the powerhouses of the game. But the Test team has been one of the best travelling teams in the vicinity. We have seen many great results. After he said that, so many experts from our own country started questioning if India is an underachieving team. Frankly, it made me laugh. Picture yourself. Just reverse the situation. SA batted first in this Test after winning the toss. If SA had batted first after winning the toss in Centurion, wasn't there a chance they could have gotten all out by 65? Even India was staring at the barrel at 20/3, thanks to Virat and Shreyas' partnership from there to save us,” the veteran Indian spinner said on his YouTube channel.

I accept wholeheartedly that we lost two WTC finals: R Ashwin

The legendary India spinner added that critics of the Indian team tend to delve into unnecessary details. The spinner emphasized that the team has consistently demonstrated its ability to stage comebacks in series, particularly in Test cricket.

“So, both cricket and Test cricket are differentiated by fine margins. In a country like India, where we talk cricket in every nook and cranny and consider the sport a religion, I feel we criticise and nitpick too much and get into unnecessary details. I think these are blinding us. What we need to understand is that it is still a sport. The fact is that a quality cricket team with good mental fortitude and mental skills can make a comeback from wherever they are, and this Indian team has time and again proved it. Yes, we lost two WTC finals. I accept it wholeheartedly. But in the case of Test series, a comeback is always possible,” said Ashwin.