R Ashwin Shows Mirror To Pakistan In Scathing Verdict: "India In A Different League"
After opting to bat first, Pakistan hit the self-destruct button and were restricted to 127/9, with the Indian bowlers annihilating their top and middle order.
- R Ashwin criticised Pakistan's batting as tactically poor following their loss to India in the Asia Cup
- Only Sahibzada Farhan and Shaheen Afridi scored above 30 for Pakistan, who were restricted to 127/9
- "India tactically, technically, and strategically, are in a different league," said the former India star
Ravichandran Ashwin minced no words while criticising Pakistan following their dismal show in the Asia Cup 2025 fixture against arch-rivals India on Sunday. After opting to bat first, Pakistan hit the self-destruct button and were restricted to 127/9, with the Indian bowlers annihilating their top and middle order. Barring Sahibzada Farhan (40) and Shaheen Afridi (33), no other batter managed to cross the 30-run mark. In response, India achieved the target in just 15.5 overs with 7 wickets to spare. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin compared Pakistan's senseless batting approach to India's tactical masterclass.
Ashwin suggested that Pakistan batted as if they were playing against a team like Oman.
"Apart from Saim Ayub, I don't think the Pakistan team has a lot of class. If we compare the batting of both sides, Abhishek Sharma stepped out first ball, used his feet against Shaheen Shah Afridi. In stark comparison, Mohammad Haris was rooted in crease trying to heave Jasprit Bumrah across the line, and the ball went straight up. You cannot play such a shot against Bumrah, this is not the Oman team. You can hit bowlers like that, but it is not the same here," said Ashwin.
The former India all-rounder also highlighted Pakistan's lack of tactical awareness against the Indian bowling.
"Pakistan have also been tactically very, very poor. Even Hasan Nawaz was looking to hit without any foot movement. Look at Tilak Varma instead, he played the reverse sweep, scored through the off side, played the slog sweep. So, India tactically, technically, and strategically, are in a different league," he added.
On the contrary, Ashwin praised the Indian team, calling it the strongest side to play against Pakistan. He also credited IPL for shaping players' ability to handle pressure in big games.
"This is the strongest Indian T20 team that we have put on against Pakistan. That is the way I like to look at it. This is not explosive batting, but it is just unbelievably good, tactical, proper batting. Where did the Indian players get this exposure? Through the IPL. The players are used to playing shots under pressure now. It is a habit now," Ashwin explained.
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team
Ravichandran Ashwin