T20 World Cup: ‘He has no shots on the leg side’ – Ashwin on Abhishek Sharma’s weakness ahead of West Indies clash

“He has also not hit them down the ground because every time he has stepped out, the bowlers have gone full on his pads. Off-spinners are daring him to hit on the leg side, and he doesn’t have shots there,” he added.

Abhishek started with three back-to-back ducks before returning with 15 against South Africa. He finally managed to score his maiden T20 World Cup fifty against Zimbabwe, whereas Kishan is India’s highest run-scorer at this World Cup. He slammed two fifties before being demoted to No. 3, allowing Sanju Samson to open alongside Abhishek to bring a right-hander into the mix at the top.

“Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are left-handers but of different kinds. (Roston) Chase has to approach it differently, bowling to both,” said Ashwin. “Abhishek’s favorite shot is inside out over covers. He doesn’t have a sweep shot to access the square leg boundary, and also lacks scoring options in the long on and deep midwicket region. If you bowl on the legs to Ishan Kishan, he also doesn’t have shots to access the square leg region. But what he does is step down and smash the ball straight.”

Speaking on the plans against Abhishek and Kishan, Ashwin said, “Abhishek Sharma will smash the off-spinner if he bowls outside off stump. But for Kishan, if the off-spinner bowls it outside off stump, he tries to smash it to the long on or midwicket region and skies it in the air. So you can’t just bowl off-spin with the same plan against both just because they are left-handers. Each has a different approach, and if the bowler doesn’t know it, they will complement one another. Ishan Kishan has to be challenged outside off stump and Abhishek Sharma down leg side.”