'It is easy to criticise...': Ashwin fires off on online backlash after IND's series loss

The T20I series that took place between India and the West Indies ended in disappointment for the visitors. The Hardik Pandya-led squad underwhelmed in the lead-up to October's ICC One-Day International World Cup. India's 165 for 9 in 20 overs was not enough to prevent a loss in the fifth T20 encounter against the Windies, and the hosts won the series by a score of 3-2.

3 things you need to know

• The final result was 171-2, and the West Indies won with 8 wickets and 2 overs left. 
• In the IND vs WI T20I series, India failed to meet the expectations of the fans and will play in the Asia Cup 
• Nicholas Pooran was a player in the IND-WI T20I series.

Also Read: 'Play Rinku Singh Instead. If You Play Samson..': Ex-player Not Happy With Team Management

Hardik Pandya has been criticized by the fans

Social media works quickly to shape and change views. Hardik Pandya, the leader of India's T20I team, was a victim of this trend in Indian cricket. After the West Indies won the series, fans didn't like what he said about it. When asked about a series loss after 17 years during the ODI series, he said he was ready to be different. 

[Hardik Pandya gets bowled out by the West Indies side during the IND-WI T20I series; Image: AP]

But Pandya changed his mind after the West Indies won the fifth T20I and took the series by a score of 3-2. He said that a single loss "doesn't matter". Pandya said that focusing on the bigger picture is the most important thing. He also said that the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA is far away, which makes the series loss less important.

Also Read: SA20 2023 Schedule, time, venues & more; Everything about South Africa's new T20 league

WI vs IND: R Ashwin believes that the WI series possesses plenty of benefits

R Ashwin remains optimistic about his approach, but taking everything into consideration, he believes that it is not too early to mention the T20 World Cup next year. Talking on his YouTube channel, he stated: 

There are plenty of positives from this T20I series. It is very easy to criticise the team on social media since they lost to a team that didn't qualify for the last T20 World Cup. They haven't qualified for the upcoming 50-over World Cup as well. I want to give a piece of information to you guys.

I am not talking, backing, or supporting anybody. All of these are secondary. As a youngster, if you are going to the West Indies, there will be some challenges. In all countries, there will be some innate secrets. The local players know these things more than visiting players. Especially if the players are young

Ravichandran Ashwin didn't mention Pandya by name, but he illustrated what MS Dhoni and his coaches said about how crucial it is to learn from wins if you want to be a winner. The spinner also opened up on India's strengths and weaknesses in the T20 format. He praised players like Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and the starting pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, saying that they had a lot of potential.