Ashwin picks moment 'that defined cricket' at Lord's, calls Joe Root 'gentleman' for act towards Mohammed Siraj

Ashwin picks moment 'that defined cricket' at Lord's, calls Joe Root 'gentleman' for act towards Mohammed Siraj (AP Photo)

India and England engaged in grueling five days of Test cricket at the Lord's Cricket Ground, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. The match was eventually won by England, handing them a crucial 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Day 5 started with India 135 runs behind the 193-target and England six wickets away from victory. At Lunch, India found themselves reduced to 112/8, but Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj fought hard and got the visitors tantalisingly close before falling short by 22 runs.

Siraj, the final Indian wicket to fall, was devastated when Shoaib Bashir's delivery drifted back onto the stumps after he defended the ball. The Indian pacer was approached by England's Joe Root and Zak Crawley, who offered consolation and congratulated him and Jadeja on a valiant battle.

After the match, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised Root and Crawley for putting aside their animosities with the Indian squad and demonstrating great sportsmanship. It should be noted that the Lord's Test was tense the entire time, with both teams fiercely competing against one another.

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“When Siraj got out, Zak Crawley and Joe Root came to him. That defined cricket for me. That essentially is what Test cricket is. Sometimes we get caught in the spirit of cricket debate, like the time wasting tactics, all that is part and parcel of the game,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’. “To win the game, it is important to fight. But at the end of the day, you should be able to shake off the differences. Joe Root and Zak Crawley shook off the differences that had arisen over the last five days,” he added.

On Day 3, India and England's animosity began to flare when Shubman Gill urged Zak Crawley to "grow a pair". In order to prevent India from getting another over in before the end of play, the England opener was accused of purposefully wasting time.

The sledging carried on through the final two days, with both teams exchanging verbal jabs. But once the match ended, the spirit of cricket prevailed, as players from both England and India acknowledged each other’s fierce determination and will to win.

“I have been with Joe Root in the Rajasthan Royals camp, and he is such a gentleman. He performed well in this Test, took an amazing catch and broke Rahul Dravid's record,” said Ashwin.

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Then, Ashwin recalled how the Virat Kohli-led team was so enthralled with their victory that they failed to check in on their opponents during India's tight victory over Australia in the 2018 Adelaide Test. “We had won a similar Test at Adelaide Oval. There were partnerships from Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. They needed 28-29 runs when the last wicket fell, and we were just celebrating,” said Ashwin.

“We don't even remember the other team because you are in the moment of celebration. But for Crawley and Root to feel Siraj is hurting, they should put an arm around his shoulder was a definite standout moment for me,” he added.