Ravichandran Ashwin has publicly called out Ben Stokes for his earlier dismissal of injury substitutions in Test cricket.
The former Indian spinner criticized the England captain's comments made during the series where Stokes had labelled the idea of allowing subs for injured players outside of concussions as "ridiculous" and "a joke."
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Ashwin's response came after the final Test at The Oval where England lost narrowly by six runs. Chris Woakes had dislocated his shoulder while fielding on Day 1; he came out to bat injured in a last-ditch effort to take his team over the line.
R Ashwin calls out Ben Stokes on injury sub debate after England loss
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin pointed out the irony of Stokes' earlier comment after Woakes had to bat with one arm in a sling.
"I'm a big fan of Ben Stokes. I admire his attitude. But you need to think before you speak. Today, Chris Woakes walked out with his shoulder tucked into into his sweater and gave it his all to help the team win. He almost did it. He was running, showing immense game awareness. Hats off to Chris Woakes - remarkable attitude, remarkable fight, putting his body on the line," said Ashwin.
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Ashwin highlighted how Gautam Gambhir had previously called for a rule change after Rishabh Pant's injury in the fourth Test but Stokes had strongly disagreed. Now Ashwin said, England were in the same situation.
Ashwin also cited former England captain Michael Vaughan's view that the game should evolve to allow more flexibility in such scenarios. He stressed that words like "joke" and "ridiculous" don’t reflect the spirit of empathy or sportsmanship.
"All I'm saying is: show a little empathy for the other team. Stokes should have considered what it would be like if a player of Rishabh Pant's calibre was in his team and got injured. Wouldn't you want a substitution? Wouldn't that be fair? You are free to share your opinion but using words like 'joke' and 'ridiculous' isn't respectful. Think before you speak. Karma hit back instantly," he added.
Stokes, for his part, doubled down at the post-match press conference, saying, "If someone gets injured, tough s***. Deal with it."
The dramatic end to the series not only reignited the debate around injury substitutions but also underscored how quickly the game can turn - both on the field and off it.