Ravichandran Ashwin’s ordinary outing at The Ageas Bowl let India down, says Michael Vaughan

Former English captain Michael Vaughan feels England were in a commanding position at stumps on Day 3 of the fourth Test match against India in Southampton. According to him, the visitors were particularly struggling because their ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin did not make an impact. England are 233 runs ahead of India in the match with two wickets still in hand.

Ashwin, who started well in the Test match by picking seven wickets in the first game at Edgbaston, could not maintain the same momentum in the next games. At The Ageas Bowl, the off-spinner has taken only two wickets in almost 50 overs, conceding 118 runs. He looked off-colour in England’s second innings, particularly when compared with English off-break bowler Moeen Ali who took a fifer in India’s first innings.

Ashwin failed to do a Moeen Ali

Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Vaughan backed England as the favourite to win the match for he felt they now have a decisive lead on a surface with uneven bounce. The former cricketer expects Ali to exploit the conditions, much better than Ashwin did. The offie opened the bowling in the second innings and has given 78 runs so far in 35 overs with just one scalp.

“When you’re playing against a team with Virat Kohli in, you’re not going to sleep too well with the fact that you know he can play incredible innings – as can [Cheteshwar] Pujara,” Vaughan said.

“But England are well ahead of the game because Moeen Ali will bowl a lot better than Ashwin. I don’t know if Ashwin is fit. There’s nothing in his action and he has not bowled any of those balls we saw at Edgbaston – he’s had a really disappointing day for India. Kohli will be thinking ‘I needed my spinner today’. But he didn’t show up.” Ashwin had an injury scare during the third Test match in Trent Bridge and bowled just one over in the first innings.

Vaughan, who was distraught with England’s disastrous start to the Test on Day 1, also said, “I think 200 would be very competitive but from an England perspective they will put another heavy roller on the wicket and if they bat 90 overs tomorrow they will be 240 ahead and I’m pretty sure that will be enough.”

England were 260 for 8 in their second innings with youngster Sam Curran (37 not out) coming to their rescue once again. Curran scored 78 in the first innings to bail out England after they were reeling at 86 for 6.

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