Gambhir also said a finger-spinner like him could be as effective as a wrist-spinner in the English conditions.
Gautam Gambhir (Photo: Facebook)
Veteran Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has backed spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin to make a comeback to the team’s limited overs squad ahead of the ICC World Cup 2019. Gambhir also said a finger-spinner like him could be as effective as a wrist-spinner in the English conditions.
Ashwin, who also led Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2019, last played for the Men-in-Blue in July 2017 — from when the wrist-spinners duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have become Team India’s frontline spinners in the limited overs format.
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“Both wrist-spinners (Kuldeep and Chahal) have done well in the last one year. But I still feel that Ashwin is somebody we should look at. I’ve always believed that a quality spinner is a quality spinner – irrespective of whether he is a wrist-spinner or a finger-spinner,” Gambhir was quoted as saying at a promotional event.
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Taking Australia’s Nathan Lyon, who recently made an ODI comeback following his stellar performances in the longest format, Gambhir said, “He (Lyon) is probably the best off-spinner in the world and he’s a finger-spinner. I feel that we should not differentiate because there’s a wrist-spinner and so there’s no space for a finger-spinner.”
“I think Ashwin is someone who we should always consider because we are looking at conditions in England during that time of the year. Wickets could be flat and worn out. So a finger-spinner can be effective with the ball as well,” Gambhir added.
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