IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin targets semis – After ending 4 years and five months’ wait to don the India blue jersey again, India’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said it was not about proving to others but about proving to himself that he is still good in the shortest format. Ashwin returned in style picking 2/14 in four overs. The comeback was not just for Ashwin but was also for India as they bounced back from two defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand. Now, after win against Afghanistan, Ashwin targets semifinals. Follow T20 World Cup Live Updates on InsideSport.in
“The news I got selected for the World Cup was very heartening news. I had fun after hearing the news in terms of enjoying myself and gratification from what I wanted to achieve in life. That was one side of it, I had a special dream of being there in the World Cup and doing special things for the team,” Ravichandran Ashwin said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday.
IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin happy with comeback in India limited-overs side, targets semifinals after Afghanistan win
“There is hardly any discussion about chances. We have discussed about how to go about the next match. We can only hope Afghanistan beat New Zealand and provide physio support to Mujeeb. We want to finish the tournament deep,” Ravichandran Ashwin added.
💬 💬 Everything that I wanted to execute fell in place.@ashwinravi99 speaks about his bowling performance against Afghanistan. 👍#TeamIndia #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/LT8rNqGdUG
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 4, 2021
Scotland is yet to register a victory in the Super 12 stage but they cannot be taken lightly as they gave New Zealand a run for their money on Wednesday. Chasing 173, Scotland fell just 16 runs short, so the Men in Blue need to bring their A-game to register a win.
Ashwin press conference excerpts…
Comeback:
The news I got selected for the World Cup was very heartening news. I had fun after hearing the news in terms of enjoying myself and gratification from what I wanted to achieve in life. That was one side of it, I had a special dream of being there in the World Cup and doing special things for the team.
IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin happy with comeback in India limited-overs side, targets semifinals after Afghanistan win
Motivation
Whenever I had a stretch of good form, I had a long period of lull. Shane Warne said you only get success for 33.3% of the time. So, I had to also go through that. Had to believe that the day will come. It’s not what I have given me, it’s about what I have given to the game.
I have been playing since 2007, every year you learn something. The understanding of the game is somehow backwards. When are calling for a player to pick wickets, you are talking about lengths. A lot of experts say cricket is a game of partnerships. So, before one bowls, there is an over before and after. So, you have to keep that in mind. For me, it’s about 24 events — 24 balls.
Finger Spinners:
For a lot of people who are giving expert opinions on the game, I sometimes feel sorry for them. I have been playing this format since 2007-8, and every two years, the game leaves our realms and it teaches us something because the game is so fast-paced. I feel the understanding of the game is still backward in so many ways. For me when you say a bowler has to pick wickets, for fast bowlers there are different plans and for spinners, there are different plans.
Completion of a circle
Circles are never completed. They keep going on in loops. The perception of finger spin needs to change. Champions Trophy is an event where I had a halt. I am trying to create different angles. The ball I dismissed Gulbadin Naib was anything but a carom ball. Thinking creates the intent, and then it goes into the practice.
IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin happy with comeback in India limited-overs side, targets semifinals after Afghanistan win
Chances of semifinals
There is hardly any discussion about chances. We have discussed about how to go about the next match. We can only hope Afghanistan beat New Zealand and provide physio support to Mujeeb. We want to finish the tournament deep.
Two losses I did feel a bit low about it. It is never special when you lose games. The chances of qualification did take a dent, but after yesterday’s win, we have our fingers crossed and hope things go right. Everything I wanted to execute yesterday fell into place.
Rahul Dravid
He has immense knowledge and that will be helpful. He has played at the highest level. he has gone through the grinds of U-19 and India A. He also knows all the young players. I am really looking forward to his stint.
Life in a bubble
Many people don’t get that living in a bubble. My family has contributed so much. People say we are on holidays. But we are hardly on a holiday. Behind the field, we are also familymen. I am extremely thankful to our family for being there in these 8 months.
IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin happy with comeback in India limited-overs side, targets semifinals after Afghanistan win
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IND vs SCO LIVE: What India need to qualify for the semi-final:
- India needs to register huge wins in the next two games, with games against Namibia and Scotland. But that too will only come to play if Afghanistan beats New Zealand.
- If New Zealand beats Afghanistan – India, Afghanistan will be out & New Zealand will qualify as 2nd team, provided they also beat Namibia.
- Should New Zealand vs Afghanistan end in the latter’s favour, and Virat Kohli and Co. register to win in both their games, the three teams will be tied at 6 points each, with net run-rate being the deciding factor.
- Currently, India are trailing both New Zealand and Afghanistan in that regard but could leapfrog them with huge wins.
IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin happy with comeback in India limited-overs side, targets semifinals after Afghanistan win
| POS | TEAM | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | +1.065 | 8 | |
| 2 | 4 | +1.481 | 4 | |
| 3 | 3 | +0.816 | 4 | |
| 4 | 3 | +0.073 | 2 | |
| 5 | 3 | -1.600 | 2 | |
| 6 | 3 | -2.645 | 0 |
IND vs SCO LIVE score
Probable XI:
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur/ Rahul Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Scotland: George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Alasdair Evans, Bradley Wheal
Squads: IND vs SCO LIVE
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan
Scotland: George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Alasdair Evans, Bradley Wheal, Craig Wallace, Josh Davey, Dylan Budge, Hamza Tahir
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IND vs SCO LIVE: R Ashwin happy with comeback in India limited-overs side, targets semifinals after Afghanistan win
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