The seasoned Indian off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, recently engaged in a unique exercise on Instagram, sparking conversations and debates among cricket enthusiasts. The crux of the discussion was centered around hypothetical one-on-one matchups between cricket legends, with Ashwin himself partaking in the conversation.
Instagram poll dynamics
In a circulating Instagram poll that Ashwin also posted on his story, fans were asked to choose winners in speculative individual face-offs. Some of the notable matchups included Virat Kohli vs Waqar Younis, Babar Azam vs Anil Kumble, Rohit Sharma vs Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar vs Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s verdict
In the midst of these intriguing contests, Ashwin found himself pitted against the legendary Pakistan batter, Javed Miandad. In a surprising admission, the Chennai-born cricketer openly conceded that he wouldn’t stand a chance against Miandad, expressing a whimsical desire for a time machine to bowl against the former Pakistan great.
“Miandad will win the battle against me. What a fabulous player he was. I just wish there was a Time Machine,” Ashwin wrote in an Instagram story.
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Javed Miandad’s illustrious career
Miandad, renowned as Pakistan’s premier batter, made a stellar debut in 1976, immediately marking his presence with a century in his first Test. Over a distinguished Test career spanning 124 matches, he amassed 8832 runs, featuring 23 centuries and an impressive highest score of 280* at an average of 52.57.
ODI brilliance
Miandad’s excellence wasn’t confined to Test cricket; he showcased his batting prowess in ODIs as well. Accumulating 7381 runs in 233 games, he recorded 8 centuries. Notably, his best ODI performance included a score of 119* at an average of 41.70. Miandad played a pivotal role in steering Pakistan’s batting during their triumphant 1992 World Cup campaign in Australia.