Sunil Gavaskar wants R Ashwin to lead team out on field in Dharamsala in his 100th Test
Ranchi, Feb 24: Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday suggested that India captain Rohit Sharma should allow Ravichandran Ashwin to lead the team out on the field in the final Test in Dharamsala, to honour the senior off-spinner in his milestone 100th match.
The 37-year-old Ashwin is playing in his 99th Test in the fourth match here against England and returned with figures of 5/51 in the visitors' second innings, his 35th five-wicket haul in the longest format.
"India win tomorrow, and you go to Dharamshala (for fifth and final Test), I just hope that Rohit allows you to lead the team out to the field. That'll be a wonderful gesture, honour for all that you have done for Indian cricket," Gavaskar said while speaking to Ashwin on Jio Cinema after the end of the third day's play.
To that, Ashwin replied he would be happy if his presence in the team lasts longer.
"Sunny bhai, you are being too generous, thanks so much. However, expectations about all these things, I think I am well past all that. But genuinely saying, I am enjoying every single moment I am being with this team," Ashwin said.
"The longer it lasts, I will be happy."
Gavaskar's co-commentator and former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri also said it would be a perfect way for Ashwin to go to the Dharamsala Test after helping the team win with a five-for in his 99th Test.
"Yes. But you can pick all the wickets you want, you performed the way you want but it's nothing without the team winning. It (team win) is the best thing which can happen to a cricketer.
"Win a Test after four-five days, the feeling is surreal. I would like to have that feeling tomorrow. Rohit (Sharma) and (Yashasvi) Jaiswal started very well and hopefully they can carry on that tomorrow," said Ashwin who reached the milestone of taking 500 wickets in the Rajkot Test.
Asked about his famous carrom ball, Ashwin said, "My knee has been acting out, but I had a bit of warm-up, I didn't want to give runs as we're batting last, any runs saved is a bonus.
"When we were asked as to who wanted to start, I put my hand up. I do enjoy bowling with the new ball. I had to go back, rewire the way I think about the game.
"The way I drop the ball on the pitch, I came to know that it doesn't have the bite, it was hitting the shin off the pitch. So, I had to go back and mentally readjust, had to fire the ball quicker."
Ashwin was also all praise for wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who returned with fine figures of 4/22 with crucial wickets of Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes.
"I loved the way Kuldeep bowled today, he was brilliant, the way he changed the trajectory, change of pace, the dip he got -- I think he's double the bowler now. I took away a 5-wicket haul from him.
"It was hard on him yesterday, we sent him to bat early, but he showed a lot of technique and guile, we batted almost the entire first session. We would have taken a deficit of 70-80 runs when we went back to the hotel yesterday, we would have taken it."
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SC frowns upon Jharkhand HC for not pronouncing verdict in criminal cases, seeks report from all HCs
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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday expressed surprise that the Jharkhand High Court has not pronounced verdicts in 67 criminal appeals after reserving judgement and asked all high courts to submit report in a month on cases where judgements are pending.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh termed the development as "disturbing", and said it will law down some mandatory guidelines on the issue.
"This cannot be allowed to happen," the bench said, as it sought reports from all the high courts in four weeks on cases where judgement has been reserved on or before January 31, 2025 but verdict has not been pronounced till date.
The top court passed the directions after perusing the report filed by registrar general of the Jharkhand High Court in which it said in 56 criminal appeals heard by division bench from January, 2022 till December, 2024, the verdict has not been pronounced despite order being reserved.
It also noted that before the single bench judge, judgement has not been pronounced in 11 criminal appeals despite order being reserved.
The top court was hearing a plea of four life convicts, who have approached through advocate Fauzia Shakil, claiming that the Jharkhand high court had reserved orders on their appeals against conviction in 2022 but did not pronounce verdicts due to which they were not able to claim the benefit of remission.
