Former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan praised veteran spinner R Ashwin for his terrific performance during India vs West Indies Test series. He said that he would have given Ashwin the Player of the Series award. Notably, the broadcasters did not disclose one in the post-match presentation ceremony after the second Test at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Ashwin had an outstanding series and his brilliant performance helped India seal the series by 1-0. The veteran spinner scalped a total of 15 wickets, including a ten-wicket haul. He also batted well as he scored a half-century.
Zaheer Khan, in an interview with Jio Cinema, said, "He picked up that 10-fer, he was the main wrecker-in-chief, got 15 wickets, got a fifty as well. He had a terrific series. Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma), and Yashasvi (Jaiswal) scored runs, but the main guy, who helped India get a result, was right up with his performance. My Man of the Series would have been Ashwin.”
During the first Test match in Dominica, Ashwin concluded the game with 12 wickets, helping India beat West Indies by an innings and 141 runs. His bowling figures of 7 for 71 led to West Indies folding for 130 on the third evening.
During the second Test game, the veteran bowler picked up three wickets and also scored an unbeaten 56 off 78 balls in India’s first innings with the help of eight fours. It was Rain who played a spoilsport on Day 5 of the IND vs WI second Test as the game ended in a draw. Skipper Rohit Sharma played yet another incredible knock as he collected a third back-to-back fifty-plus score in the ongoing tour of the West Indies, his fastest half-century in Test cricket.
Openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal made a 98-run opening partnership in just 71 deliveries, helping ndia add to their first-innings lead of 183 runs. It was the second-highest opening stand behind Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan (10) in terms of run-rates* (8.28).