The amateur batsmen of UAE found RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN a menace during their game in Perth a few days ago as the tall Indian off-spinner claimed a man-of-the-match 4-25. A purveyor of carrom ball, an arm ball, off-breaks, Ashwin can be a handful for most batsmen.

He is particularly a major force in limited-overs cricket where he intelligently uses the many variations in his armoury. His success was what India needed in the post-Anil Kumble era.

Part of the 2011 World Cup winning squad but rarely got a chance ahead of Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin has waited for his chance.

A more than useful batsman with a couple of Test centuries already under his belt, Ashwin is rated as a decent all-rounder in all forms of cricket.

West Indies, more or less, struggle when MARLON SAMUELS fails to live to his reputation as a right-handed batsman of immense ability. Three days after making a career-best 133 (not out) while sharing a world-record One-day International partnership of 372 with fellow Jamaican, Chris Gayle, against Zimbabwe at Canberra, Samuels departed for a nine-ball against the rampaging Proteas in Sydney.

But such is the talent of this man that he drew comparisons with the legendary Viv Richards. Unhappily his career has been dogged by various controversies and was even banned for two years for alleged match-fixing in 2008.

Samuels’ greatest moment came in the 2012 World T20 final against hosts Sri Lanka when he made 78 to help West Indies win their first limited-overs title since 1979.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2015

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