Batter should be given LBW even if ball pitches outside leg stump while playing a reverse sweep, remarks Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has been always known for his various antics on the field. His dismissal by Mankading Jos Buttler in IPL was one of the most discussed dismissals. Now, Ashwin has come up with a new rule suggestion for a batter playing reverse sweep or switch hit. Batters have been playing different strokes in modern era and they often play the reverse sweep or switch hit. Ashwin is of the opinion that a batter should be given out in such circumstances even if the ball pitches outside leg.

In the one-off Test between England and India. Ravindra Jadeja bowled from over the wickets and outside leg stump to Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Root tried to play reverse sweep many times but didn’t connect most of them. Bairstow on the other end just padded those balls away. Ashwin said that if the batter switches his stance the line outside the leg stump is not a blind spot for him anymore and so he should be given LBW in such cases. 

“Try telling Joe Root that if the ball comes from outside leg stump and hits your pad, it’s not blind spot. If I play it from my original stance, it’s blind spot. But if I turn around, then it’s not a blind spot – it’s front-on.”