R Ashwin believes that the heated altercation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and pitch curator Lee Fortis on Tuesday, July 29, at The Oval, the venue for the fifth and final Test match, could be a turning point for India as they look to level the five-match series with England.
Fortis urged Gambhir and his teammates to remain away from the ground, which will host the sport’s two long-standing foes in the fifth Test starting Thursday, July 31. This did not sit well with Gambhir, who was seen reminding Fortis of his status.
Ashwin recalled how, in the past, similar encounters had unintentionally revealed a far more savage side to the Indian team.
“After all that, when I saw the video of that fight today, I was like, ‘Boss, what are you guys doing?'” This is not how you want to play against the Indian team. I’ve always noticed that when the Indian team faces difficulty, no matter what it is, someone rises to the occasion. When things don’t go as planned, or when we’re up against a wall, the Indian squad transforms into a different beast,” Ashwin stated in a video released to his YouTube page.
“I believe that particular item gives India a significant advantage in this Test match. Maybe this will mean little if England plays well and India does not finish on top, but I have a sense this is not the way it should be handled,” Ashwin remarked.
When the Monkeygate scandal occurred, you saw how we performed in the subsequent Test: R Ashwin
Ashwin cited various situations in Indian cricket history, including the infamous monkeygate scandal, in which the squad recovered wonderfully and won massive triumphs. The great off-spinner believes that such an occurrence will motivate Shubman Gill and his teammates ahead of the key encounter.
“When such an occasion comes, the sleeping animals, the individually excellent players, will band together. I’ve seen that numerous times. You look at any form of adversity. When the Monkeygate scandal occurred, you saw how we performed in the subsequent Test. Look at what happened at the Gabba and at Lord’s, where Virat stated, ’60 overs of hell’. “It energises the team,” Ashwin said.
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