Former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja said it has now turned out to be a “dream” for a visiting team to beat India in India in a Test match. Raja’s comments came after India whitewashed Bangladesh in a two-match series. A lot was expected of Bangladesh as they were coming on the back of a historic 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan but they were a no match for a strong Indian side which beat them by 280 runs in the first Test in Chennai and then broke records to win the second Test despite eight sessions of it getting washed out in Kanpur.
Raja said the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side, which sits on top of the World Test Championship points table, “is the strongest team” on home soil, and Bangladesh did not have the prowess to challenge that.
“India won the Test match easily against Bangladesh. At this point, India is the strongest team to beat on their home soil… Bangladesh had to do a lot to give a tough time to such a successful team because winning a Test match can only be a dream for any visiting team. Bangladesh didn’t have the capacity to challenge India…,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.
India extended their record unbeaten run at home Tests to 18 series. The last time India lost a Test series at home was in 2013-14 against England. Since then, India have won 18 Test series in a row and in this period, no team has managed to beat India more than once in a series. They have lost only three Tests at home in the last decade. In fact, the only teams to beat India in a Test are Australia and England.
‘Ashwin doesn’t get the credit he deserves as an all-rounder’: Ramiz
Ramiz, who led Pakistan in 27 matches between 1992 and 1997, said India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who had an amazing outing against Bangladesh, emerging as the Player of the Series, for his all-round performance, doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves.
“See how the bowlers supported Rohit Sharma in this victory innings. Fast bowlers dominated in the first inning, and spinners shone in the second inning. It was an amazing Test series for Ashwin. He scoring a century at home and also taking six wickets is an amazing mastery and an amazing all-round ability, perhaps he has not got the kind of status in cricket that he should get as an all-rounder,” Ramiz said.
The former cricketer added that the 38-year-old doesn’t make any drama and performs at every opportunity.
“Ashwin is no less than anyone else, he scores century at every opportunity, and takes wickets at every opportunity and doesn’t show too much pride, doesn’t make any drama after taking a wicket, doesn’t make any drama after scoring a century,” he added.
