‘You can’t play spin like pace’: R Ashwin questions Ben Stokes’ batting method | Cricket News
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised questions over Ben Stokes’ method against spin bowling, pointing to what he believes are long-standing technical issues following the England captain’s dismissal in the third Ashes Test at Adelaide.Stokes was bowled by Australian spin great Nathan Lyon in the second innings as England chased a daunting target of 435. While England showed resolve in the chase, they eventually lost by 82 runs, a defeat that handed Australia the Ashes and marked England’s fourth straight series loss against their oldest rivals. With England beaten in three Tests inside 11 days, scrutiny has fallen on the entire side, but Ashwin suggested the captain must also look closely at his own game.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin analysed Stokes’ approach to spin, drawing on his own experience of bowling to the England all-rounder. Ashwin has dismissed Stokes 13 times in Test cricket.“Ben Stokes has been getting out to off-spinners for as long as I have bowled and watched,” Ashwin said. “Is this question being asked? He is a fabulous player with the right attitude, but you cannot play spin the same way you play fast bowling.”Ashwin explained that playing spin requires getting to the pitch of the ball rather than relying on bounce, something that works better against pace bowlers. He added that fast bowlers, who rely more on lateral movement, can be handled with adjustments, whereas spin presents different challenges such as the risk of being trapped lbw.“You have to watch the ball out of the hand,” Ashwin said. “The theory of playing spin is to get to the pitch of the ball. If you do not do that, you are always vulnerable.”Ashwin also pointed to what he sees as a growing trend among non-Asian batters to depend heavily on the sweep and reverse sweep against spin. He argued that this stems from flawed defensive technique.“I am seeing many western players like Ben Stokes, Ben Duckett and Aiden Markram sweeping or reverse sweeping because their defensive technique against spin is not right,” Ashwin said. “The moment you commit to the sweep, you are picking the line early and trying to defend it, instead of reading what the ball is doing and getting to it.”According to Ashwin, the core principle of playing spin is lost when batters retreat onto the back foot and look to score rather than meeting the ball. He added that this issue, in his view, is not being addressed enough at the highest level.Stokes’ dismissal in Adelaide proved pivotal in England’s failed chase and has now become a focal point in wider discussions about England’s approach to spin bowling, both in the Ashes and beyond.
