‘Five Centurions, But No Daddy Hundreds’: Ashwin Urges Gill & Co. to Take Responsibility, Not Rely on Tailenders for Miracles

Former India off-spinner called for greater responsibility from India’s leading batters as the team prepares for the second Test against England on Wednesday.

Ashwin Urges Top Order to Step Up, Questions Impact of India’s Batting Depth Strategy

With the second Test at Edgbaston set to begin on Wednesday, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has issued a strong call for greater accountability from India’s top-order batters. Despite five centuries being scored across both innings in the Headingley Test, India still slumped to a five-wicket defeat as England successfully chased 371—one of their highest ever targets in Test cricket.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin acknowledged the quality of individual knocks but questioned their overall match impact. He challenged India’s batters to not only score but build “daddy hundreds” that can truly shift the game’s momentum—especially in light of a fragile lower order.

“Batters should take up responsibility. Yes, we had five centurions, but where are the daddy hundreds? We have to resign to the fact that there would be no contribution (with the bat) from the lower order. Our fast bowlers cannot bat, they cannot muster runs,” Ashwin said.

India’s recent focus on batting depth—by including all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, or Washington Sundar—has yet to pay off consistently. In Headingley, this strategy backfired as the lower order offered little resistance, increasing the pressure on the top six. Ashwin’s comments highlight the need for India’s frontline batters to not just get starts but to carry their innings deep and play defining knocks under pressure.

Ashwin wants more from bowlers

The concerns for India aren’t confined to their batting alone. While Jasprit Bumrah delivered a stellar performance with a five-wicket haul in the first innings at Headingley, the rest of the bowling unit struggled to maintain control and apply consistent pressure. Ravichandran Ashwin, in his latest video analysis, emphasized the importance of sustained discipline from Bumrah’s fellow bowlers.

“In Tests, I think maidens are quite underrated. I’d be okay with Bumrah going for a higher economy rate if others bowled tighter. I saw a show where someone said Siraj was unlucky to not pick up wickets—I agree he bowled well in the second innings, but the economy rate cannot be ignored. You can’t just hope things will fall into place,” Ashwin said.

With India trailing 0-1 in the five-match series, the spotlight now falls on key selection calls ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston. Both the batting temperament and bowling control will be under intense scrutiny as the team seeks a strong response.

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