Former Indian cricketer Laxman Sivaramakrishnan recently stirred up a social media storm with a scathing Twitter rant targeting star off-spinner R Ashwin. The crux of Sivaramakrishnan’s argument was his claim that Test match pitches in India are allegedly “doctored” to favour Ashwin’s style of bowling. This controversy unfolded amidst discussions about the upcoming World Cup commentators, leading to a heated exchange on social media.
This picture has gone viral on SM. Enlarge the image and you notice his non bowling arm and upper body has opened up towards the offside. If you look at his lower body is closed. This leads to lack of synchronisation. Ash quickly needs to correct this to be more effective pic.twitter.com/vW1aspJrOq
— Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (@LaxmanSivarama1) September 29, 2023
Ravi Ashwin was nice enough to call me just a while ago to discuss his bowling action, he was as shocked with the venom of the trolls as I was . Also clarified that the people involved are in NO WAY connected to him. GOOD LUCK @ashwinravi99 Do us proud.
— Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (@LaxmanSivarama1) September 30, 2023
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Sivaramakrishnan’s Initial Critique
Sivaramakrishnan’s Twitter outburst began innocuously enough, responding to a post detailing the World Cup commentator lineup. He criticized the absence of “genuine spinners” in the panel, calling it a “pathetic mix.” Among the commentators listed were renowned spinners Lisa Sthalekar, Samuel Badree, Ravi Shastri, and Russell Arnold, all with substantial international wicket records.
Taking Aim at R Ashwin
The turning point came when another commenter suggested that flat pitches would be prepared for India’s batters in the World Cup. In response, Sivaramakrishnan made a bold assertion, claiming that Indian Test pitches were deliberately tailored to suit Ashwin’s bowling prowess. He also questioned Ashwin’s performance in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).
Ashwin’s Response
Amidst the Twitter storm, R Ashwin maintained his composure and humility. He expressed his surprise at being included in the World Cup squad and acknowledged the difficulty of his journey back to limited-overs cricket after a substantial hiatus. Unfortunately, the warm-up match between India and England in Guwahati was washed out, denying fans an opportunity to see Ashwin’s performance on the field.
Ashwin’s Record Defended
A passionate Ashwin supporter quickly responded, defending the spinner’s impressive record and asserting his superiority over Sivaramakrishnan. Ashwin had recently been drafted into India’s World Cup squad after Axar Patel’s injury, boasting 155 ODI wickets in 115 matches. In contrast, Sivaramakrishnan’s own limited international record stood at 15 wickets in 16 ODIs and 26 wickets in nine Test matches.
Sivaramakrishnan Doubles Down
Sivaramakrishnan didn’t back down from his controversial stance. He further fueled the fire by stating, “Any fool will get wickets on tampered pitches in India.” He went on to claim that he had witnessed instances of pitch tampering firsthand, insinuating that it was done to favour Ashwin.
Escalating Hostilities
The exchange escalated as Sivaramakrishnan continued to make derogatory comments about Ashwin, calling him “unfit” and a “liability.” This relentless criticism from a former cricketer added an extra layer of intensity to the controversy.
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