Veteran Indian player Ravichandran Ashwin reacted to Michael Vaughan’s claim that “India is the worst performing team in the world”. The player criticized the former English cricketer and said that the Indian team is a powerhouse in world cricket.
Michael Vaughan’s comments came after India suffered an innings drubbing and a 32-run defeat against South Africa. The Rohit Sharma-led team was impressed by the hosts in the Centurion Test and looked clueless against the Proteas.
When India lost the match, Michael Vaughan, while commentating during the test series between Australia and Pakistan, made a shocking statement. He said that he doesn’t remember when was the last time India won something.
Michael Vaughan went on to say that despite all the talent, skills and resources they have, India has not won anything and is the worst performing team in the world. He had declared:
“Here’s a question for you: India, in terms of cricket, is one of the lowest performing sports teams in the world? With all the talent they have, I think they are, yes. Well, they don’t win anything. When was the last time you won something? With all the talent they have, all the skills…
They won here (Australia) twice, magnificent, but the last World Cups have gone nowhere, 120 World Cups, nowhere. You go to South Africa, which, you know, is useful in Test cricket and to produce a performance like that… I mean, with all the talent they have and the resources they have, I don’t think they will win anything.”
After his declaration, 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 they drew the series in South Africa.
‘Made me laugh’, Ravichandran Ashwin slams Michael Vaughan for calling India underperformers
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was part of the Indian team for the South Africa series, after reaching home reacted to Michael Vaughan’s statement. The player admitted that his team hasn’t won the ICC title for a while, but they consider themselves powerhouses of the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin also pointed out that India is one of the best touring teams in the world and has achieved great things. He also attacked Indian pundits who echoed Vaughan’s voice and claimed she made them laugh. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:
“Michael Vaughan made a statement after the first Test that India is an underperforming team. Yes, we haven’t won ICC trophies in years. We consider ourselves the powers of the game. But the Indian Test team has been one of the best traveling teams around.
“We have seen many excellent results. After he (Vaughan) said that, many pundits from our own country started wondering if India is an underperforming team. Frankly, he made me laugh.”
India have not won a single ICC trophy since 2013. They have faced some disappointing defeats, but the kind of cricket they have played cannot be questioned. The Rohit Sharma-led team since the last decade has been the dominant force.
They have completely dominated their rivals at home and apart from that, they have worried their rivals 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 is fair to say that the ICC title is not far away either.
