NEW DELHI: Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has helped India resist changes for the fourth T20I against England despite the team’s impressive performance, saying that continuing to play the same XI would send a strong message of calm – even then. Sanju Samson they miss it too.India’s tour of England has gone from a rebuilding opportunity to a battle for survival. After the opening game, England won the next two games, including a huge victory at Trent Bridge when India were bowled out for just 76, their biggest loss by runs in T20I history.With another loss in Bristol likely to hand England the series, pressure has mounted on captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir, while Samson’s absence has been one of the main talking points.
Ashwin supports an unchanged XI despite Samson’s call
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said India should resist trying to switch sides, even though the batting team put up a huge fight.“In my opinion, the same team should also play in the fourth T20I. It will be a strong choice,” Ashwin said. “If we make the same team, then that’s something I’ll be waiting to see. That means Sanju will miss out again, but that will be one decision.”Samson, who played a key role in India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, remained in the side, while youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got the nod in his place. Following India’s collapse in Nottingham, many former players and fans have called for Samson’s return.However, Ashwin believes that changing the playing XI regularly would create insecurity in the team.“I think in that case, I hope some players are not safe. We should not put others in the same situation as Samson. The team should be calm,” he said.“I hope that he will return to form, but I really doubt it. As I said during the series of Ireland, I doubted very much a wonderful return. I really doubt that he will come back here in England. There are still a few more games. I think there will be fun to watch,” he added.
‘This batting unit will be better with experience’
Ashwin admitted that he expected England to dominate the game due to India’s inexperienced line-up and the very different conditions from the IPL.“I did not expect such a result at the beginning of the Ireland series. But after the first T20I, I felt that Ireland can win this series. Against England, I felt from the beginning that they will win,” he said. “Everyone knows that India’s batting line-up is small. The conditions in IPL are different. If there is something on the wicket and the conditions are different, the Indian batting line-up will struggle.”Despite his concerns, the former spinner urged calmness with the young side and not a drastic change.“This batting unit will improve with experience. Consistency is key,” Ashwin said.India will now enter the fourth T20I needing a win to keep the five-match series alive. While the demand for Samson’s inclusion continues to grow after India’s batting failure, Ashwin believes the priority is to support the current team at a critical time rather than change it.